In his comments, Fredrick Noronha asks two questions: * Can a believer in a monotheistic religion be compelled to believe that "all religions are equal"?
* In what way is a secularism (where the State is expected to be neutral to all religions) related to the belief that "all religions are equal" or otherwise? Answer to 1st question: As far as compelling is concerned, why does Fred restrict his question to only a believer in monotheism? Is he trying to saying that a polytheist should be compelled to believe that 'all religions are equal'? Answer to 2nd question. I would like to suggest that a secular state is one which does not recognize the communal identity (be it religion, caste, or whatever) of an individual in its dealings with him/her. The only identities that a secular state would recognize is whether the person is rich or poor, strong or weak. Identified poor person would get state assistance in various secular issues (like education, housing, etc.) while a weak person would be protected from the strong, if the latter tries to bully him/her. Best regards, U G Barad