I am a secularist, who values knowledge gained from critical thinking over "knowing" gained from religious faith, tradition, assumptions and beliefs.

Rather than accepting anything presented to me as truth or fact "on faith", I engage in the art of asking essential questions to arrive at what I believe to be a proximity of truth (not THE truth, just truth).

I do not use Western modes of logic and reasoning in my analytical and critical thinking. I believe in a high standard for ethics and integrity, and the need to see them evenly applied to all, regardless of status.

I deeply appreciate the great mysteries of life and the universe, without aligning myselt to any one particular religious or spiritual tradition to contemplate or study them. I include scientific knowledge in the realm of the spiritual, and spiritual knowledge in the realm of scientific reasoning.

I believe strongly that no nation on earth should be governed using orthodox religion as the main tenet for governance or the rule of law. I believe strongly in the separation of religion and state, and believe we need to go to the next level, which to me is to ban religion from participation in the public square.

I fear society as we know it will be destroyed by religious fundamentalism.