Salutations.

I would like to take this opportunity to expand a little upon Dame
Anashia's recent, joyous, announcement regarding Ashtan's decision to
become secular in nature. There appears to be some confusion as to what
this term 'secularism' actually means, when applied to a City and its
everyday affairs. For those who have blatantly and explicitly challenged
the meaning of secular,in our case, let me at least try to define it.

It's difficult to define this reasonably new concept without blurring
some boundaries but suffice to say, becoming secular means the
following:

Secular Ashtan is henceforth a city where religious duty/abeyance is an
entirely seperate issue from everyday major or lesser civic duty. The
two issues are, for all intents and purposes, divorced from each other.

Somehow, arguments have shifted, amusingly, towards discussions of
pantheism and atheism.

For example:

"Worshipping None and All, simultaneously, is not secularism!"

Hardly germane. Ashtan indeed chose Nobody as Patron or Matron in their
democratic referendum. Why? Without asking each and every citizen which
way they voted, it's hard to tell -but the result is clear. Ashtan is
making a bold step forward. It's an experiment, by and large. An
experiment where mortals concentrate upon their own affairs first and
foremost. Theological debate is, of course, always going to be important
for a great many people -for a great many people devote themselves to a
Religious duty to their own beloved God or Goddess.

But to be perfectly clear about Ashtan's decision, theology is at a
(more or less) equal (but entirely divorced) parity with civic duty.
Mortal affairs shall now take centre-stage -matters of science,
discovery, politics, the arts --in short, mortals may, if they so
choose, plough their own path, within their -civic- capacity as
citizens. These citizens are free to worship Whomsoever they choose -to
deny this basic right would be a dangerous move. I should like to see
each and every Deity being represented within Ashtan with shrines to All
for the benefit of those who worship. But this really isn't the point
here.

For those for whom religion has no part to play in their lives, they too
are welcome within our walls. People of all walks of life, people who
are agnostics or deeply devout worshippers are equally vital to our
well-being, collectively.

They ought to be aware, however, that Ashtan now walks a path of
Independence. A Path where Religion remains important but is not the
influence it once was.

We Ashtanis are strong. We are resourceful and we are determined. We
demand the right to be all that we can be as a Society.


That's our brand of Secularism.

Long may it prevail.


Penned by my hand on the 10th of Haernos, in the year 164 MA.