(March 3, 2016 at 2:48 am)robvalue Wrote: Right.
Atlas has a problem with secularists who support things he is opposed to.
The implication is either that he has no problem with non-secularists who support things he is opposed to; or he assumes anyone against such things must be a secularist.
The first option is insane; the second shows a complete failure to understand what secular means. Take your pick, I'm going with the second. It's sad what propaganda can do to a person. When you can't use a word without adding a paragraph of unfounded agenda to it, you're off the rails.
Well, to be fair, even liberal secularists disagree on how to combat religious bigotry and bad claims. The west even with all it's problems still does a better job of protecting pluralism, my only problem with the left is when they insist on "never say this" as a blanket solution in all contexts.
But the misunderstanding of the word "secular" was a result of the cold war, it took the original Enlightenment idea of "neutral" meaning "neither for or against, but equal" and demonized it equating it to "sectarian" which is the real evil that threatens an open society.
"Sectarian" is commonly used by media right now referring to the Middle East, and the Sectarian, meaning two competing sub sets of Islam, "sects" in Sunni's and Shiites, that is the real evil. But "sectarian" can also refer to one party rule, such as the monochromatic state of North Korea. It places on type of rule, one "sect" of the population as the absolute rule.
But even in referring to Iraq under Saddam they called Iraq WRONGFULLY "secular" which was fucking absurd because the Bathists were hardly goddless, their one party rule was still religious.
Even Cuba is a SECTARIAN state and is hardly "neutral" on political issues. And even they didn't kick out ALL religions and the Pope last month visited a CATHOLIC CHURCH! Cuba hardly lacks religious people.
"Secular" does not mean godless. http://www.au.org is a NEUTRAL and pluralistic organization that values government NEUTRALITY on the issue of religion. It includes EVERY major religion including atheists.
The confusion many have because of the cold war scare cased the bullshit argument "If you claim church and state should remain separate then you are making the state the god"
NO NO NO NO NO, western secularists still also value the right to hold ALL our local, state, congress and even the president up to scrutiny, no matter the party, not even the state should be blindly worshiped.
"Sectarian" be it a religious sect or political sect or a combo of both, is the real evil, "Sectarian" merely means "neutral and equal, neither for or against" "Secular" isn't godless, it is an anti monopoly idea.
