Recently I was urged, rather strongly, to watch a debate which was to be aired in a few days time.
..came home from work a couple of days ago and noticed that my 29” t.v was tuned to the big debate. Why do I feel I needn't explain WHICH debate? The world over - big debate = Bush vs Kerry.

As technical support for a U.S based Internet service provider, all my customers are based out of the u.s - and when one is waiting for the computer to load/boot - one must talk. I have had to learn there is only so much you can talk bout in relation to weather.
The next most talked about 'generic' topic happens to be - politics. U.S politics that is. Even if they know I - 'Ann' – am not from the United States of America. (this trait of Americans to assume that the whole world is interested in their affairs is both amusing and annoying at the same time.. a likeable lot most of the time – indeed many of my close friend live/are from there – the country’s penchant for presupposing that theirs is the only world is kinda.. hmmm! Going back...)

...yea the debate...I sat there with my morning cuppa...listening to a rather intelligent man throwing questions at two men with questionable intellect. One of them atleast bothered trying to answer them with a semblance of logic. As for the other one, the less said the better.

One of the questions centered on religion / faith.

On the outset let me warn you I am not the sorts who is very heavily invested in politics. ANY politics. Leave alone politics of ANOTHER country (as in NOT my country)

Let me state I am agnostic* – a fence sitter.

I find questions along these lines rather irritating to say the least. How does a person’s belief and/or the lack of thereof have any role to play in their political candidature?
Why must a country’s population demand to know a person’s stand on RELIGION to be able to decide whether he/she will be able to lead the country to economic growth? How does a person’s personal belief help the individual to be the best person to decide what the country’s stand should be on war?
What they do in the after hours of their work is their business. Why should a democratic, secular** people be more concerned with what the politician is doing when he/she not working – personal time - then when he/she IS working (if he/she is working?)
The problem with the politics – WORLD OVER – is no one considers it a job. There are appraisals – in the form of elections, once in 4 years – but for those 4 years the politician can do whatever he/she pleases, with little or no repercussion.

Secular. What makes one, or indeed a country SECULAR? Is it when it “believes in all religion” or “believes in NO religion?”
Believing in no religion does not mean being intolerant of religion. It simply means – decisions are not made based on religion. Religion is not a deciding factor however small.

Are you secular?

* ag•nos•tic
noun :: One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
adj : :Doubtful or noncommittal

** Secular = sec•u•lar (s k y -l r) adj.
1.Worldly rather than spiritual.
2.Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body: secular music.
3.Relating to or advocating secularism.
4.Not bound by monastic restrictions, especially not belonging to a religious order. Used of the clergy.
5.Occurring or observed once in an age or century.
6.Lasting from century to century.