I'm writing in response to the topic of secularism which has become much of a debate in malaysiakini.

Secularism is a term used for the first time about 1846 by George Jacob Holyoake to denote "a form of opinion which concerns itself only with questions, the issues of which can be tested by the experience of this life" (English Secularism, 60).

More explicitly, "Secularism is that which seeks the development of the physical, moral, and intellectual nature of man to the highest possible point, as the immediate duty of life - which inculcates the practical sufficiency of natural morality apart from Atheism, Theism or the Bible.

"It selects as its methods of procedure the promotion of human improvement by material means, and proposes these positive agreements as the common bond of union, to all who would regulate life by reason and ennoble it by service" (Principles of Secularism, 17).

"Secularism is a code of duty pertaining to this life founded on considerations purely human, and intended mainly for those who find theology indefinite or inadequate, unreliable or unbelievable. Its essential principles are: the improvement of this life by material means, that science is the available Providence of man and that it is good to do good. 'Whether there be other good or not, the good of the present life is good, and it is good to seek that good'" (English Secularism, 35).

These definitions are from an article written by CA Dubray, transcribed by Douglas J Potter and published on the Internet at [#1]The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII[/#].

Obviously, secularism is a form of religion or anti-religion that has prompted the Catholic Church, notably the Archbishop of New York, to look upon it with much displeasure.

In my humble opinion, for people of any religious denomination to vociferously uphold the secularist nature of our Constitution is an insult to their religion. To quote the same article, "Only the atheist can be a consistent secularist".