Idawa: This thread, this topic, since it started that other day has been fascinating too me. Recently I have been asking myself if the secular and non-secular world can still co-exist. ... Topics such as abortion, homosexual marriage, FCC censorship, and public decency laws are examples of this conflict. So, my question is this: Can the secular trust the religious to govern them wisely, basing laws on empirical facts and quantifiable impacts rather than believe and “values”? And conversely, can the religious trust the secular to govern them wisely without taking away their values and leading them to their perceived damnation?

DFO: I would answer "no" to both questions. I wouldn't want to be subject to a religious junta any more than I would want religion expunged from our national consciousness and discourse. A theocracy is more vulnerable to the evil of the individuals running it than a republic or democracy. On the other hand, full secular license is a one-way ticket to the moral gutter. I want a tension between the two sides, a tug-of-war that keeps us somewhat in the middle.

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