The Importance of Secularism

Andrew Sullivan posted this yesterday. Secularlism, when swirled around the mouth of a Bill O'Reilly and Pat Buchanan like sour Listerine, has turned into such a bad word that it bears reminding what it really denotes:

Secularism allows Christians, and any other religious faith, to affirm religious values, live exactly as they see fit, and avoid such moral outrages as abortion and gay civil unions in their own lives, if they so wish. All secularism does is say that as a political matter, there will be as much government neutrality as possible because the government should represent all citizens; that the Church and the state shall coexist, but independently of each other. Secularism is not only compatible with aggressive and proud Christian faith; in practice, secularism has fostered that faith. The polar opposite of Christianism, in contrast, would be a government that actively suppresses religious faith, discriminates against Christianity and forbids Christians from practising their way of life.

Sullivan defines "Christianism" as "politicized Christianity" (or, to put it another way, the Jesus wing's version of Islamism). Christianism was anathema to classic conservatives like Barry Goldwater, who was idolized by Reagan and forgotten today.