Smiley prefaced his question by commenting that Democratic presidential candidates have typically been unsuccessful at conveying their personal faith to the public; he then asked her how she would meet this challenge. (Smiley's question bugged me plenty by itself, with its blithe assumption that a presidential candidate must both have, and flaunt, religious convictions in order to be acceptable -- I'm not that old, but I remember a day when public professions of religious conviction were not a central element of campaigns -- but let's leave that by the by.)

Clinton started into a predictably bland answer about how one can and should express one's faith in a way that doesn't alienate people of other faiths and, for that matter, those "without faith." At this point, I had reached my destination and gladly turned off the car radio.

"Without faith."

Think about that, as a characterization of atheists and agnostics. Just let the phrase float about in your mind for a minute.

It doesn't sound good, does it?

I'm happy to be described as a secularist, a humanist,  etc. These have favorable connotations for me, however much the Right has tainted them in public discourse. Even "non-believer," which, like "without faith," is negative in the sense of describing somebody in terms of what he/she lacks, is a label I'm happy to embrace.

But a person "without faith"? That just sounds entirely repellent.

It suggests a complete lack of trust, of hope, of ideals. A person without steadfastness or loyalty (consider "faithful"). All of these are bound up with "faith," though not with religious belief.

That description threatens to do more damage than the now-poisoned "secular humanist" ever has done. It surreptitiously ties religious belief to the various virtues I've mentioned, thus "framing" (yes, sigh, I guess I can't avoid using the word here) non-religiousness as something that almost nobody could fail to be repelled by.

Or so it seems to me. I want to hear what others have to say.

Thanks, again, for writing this magnificent piece.

Faithfully yours,