A basic definition of “Secular Left” in context

In a previous post someone commented that secular left people were not centrists as they would be in Europe. Basically I want to post here what is meant by “secular left”.

First off it is not a political party. The word “secular left”, as used in the context of this blog, is from the pejorative used by extreme political conservatives to pander to their extreme religious conservative base. The label includes anyone and any group who dissents against the extreme political conservative agenda in regards to social and culture issues.

People covered by the label seem to include the entire Democratic party, those who support separation of church and state, those who support real religious liberty, those who support reproductive choice, those who work to lessen poverty, those who work for better world understanding, those who support sane environmental protections, and those who trust science as a tool for solving problems or answering questions.

Since the label is political it can include believers, atheists, agnostics, Freethinkers, liberals, and progressives.

“I think that was an injudicious thing to say, but that the secular left has behaved imperialistically–there’s no other word for it. They have subverted the democratic process by taking their issues to the judiciary. What the so-called religious right has done has taken their petition and their concerns into the democratic process, into the public square. They organize and they try to affect legislation, as opposed to being the subverted process of democracy which is what the secular left does.” — Mary Matalin, conservative commentator, on May 8th 2005 “Meet the Press”.

This weblog exists to take back the word from the conservatives and to express what is being demonized by people like Mary Matalin and to expose their lies and myths. I would not call myself a “secular leftist” but the topics and issues printed here are what I agree with and many included under their label would agree with as well.