Word: secularize
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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That still leaves the concerns of more secular voters. Weisberg observes that modern political discourse seems to permit the exploration of candidates' every secret except their most basic philosophical beliefs: "The crucial distinction is between someone's background and heritage, which they don't choose, and their views, which they do choose and which are central to the question of whether someone has the capacity to serve in the highest office in the country." He would raise the same concerns, he notes, about a Jew or a Methodist who believed the earth is less than 6,000 years old. Weisberg...
...unreasonable to demand that a Mormon candidate expose and defend his deepest beliefs in rational terms in order to reassure voters that he is of sound mind," he says. He warns Evangelicals hostile to Romney's religion against colluding with those he sees as hostile to all religions. "The secular left that does not like people of faith in the public square is very happy to have a group of Fundamentalists raise this issue and be a battering ram," Hewitt argues. But if purely theological challenge becomes acceptable, he says, your own theology will be next: Which miracles...
...widespread such practices are is hard to measure. But secularist Turks have been quick to raise the alarm. An overwhelming majority distrusted Erdogan anyway, despite his repeated insistence that he supports a secular, democratic state. As evidence against him, these skeptics cited comments he made before he was elected that democracy is "like a streetcar-you ride it to the end and then you get off." The party has often been judged less for its performance than for what it represents. Secularists feel this is "an existential issue," explains Altinay, "and therefore that any route to stopping them is acceptable...
...tradition of political protest. But nearly a million of them poured into the streets of Istanbul--some chanting "We don't want another Iran!"--to demonstrate against the country's Islamic-leaning but democratically elected government. The protest was part of a larger revolt by Turkey's "secular establishment," which includes the army and parts of the judiciary, against a political party that has been in power for five years. The ostensible reason was that the ruling party nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a conservative Muslim, for President. But by attacking Gul, the country's urban élite runs...
...nearly 80 years, Davis enforced a strict behavior code (he once fined himself $20 for playing a racy Muddy Waters tune on a jukebox instead of a religious song) and oversaw such musical innovations as the use of electric guitar. Although the Birds' fresh harmonies and passionate gesticulating drew secular fans, Davis declined an offer to tour with Paul Simon after singing backup on Simon's 1973 hit Love Me like a Rock. Why rebuff the megamoney? The group had previous commitments to play at churches. "As far as I was concerned," said Davis, "our word was our word...