Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A humanist (not me) argues: Down with #secularism!

Richard Smyth - Down with secularism! | New Humanist




There are many kinds of idiocy, of which religion is only one. None of them ought to be excluded by law from having a say in the running of the country. All of them, however, should be challenged at every turn by the real powerhouse behind any true democracy: argument.
Yes, we should argue, but for arguments that are already settled, we shouldn't have to keep having them either. I think Mr. Smyth completely misses the point that secularism is a key component of the Rule of Law. I read him as arguing for a small 'd' democracy where the majority sets policy regardless of minority rights. I couldn't disagree more. Once we establish a right, understand how it's preservation promotes liberty and justice, we don't  (or should know better than to) let a majority come along and vote it away just because a strand of bigotry rose in popularity.

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