The French and American revolutions, "positive" and "assertive" secularism

I'm a bit late posting this -- I had meant to earlier in the month, in the context of the Fortnight for Freedom -- but I think it's still worth reading.  Thomas Howard discusses, in "July 4, July 14, and the Religious Question" the important distinction between (a) the American Revolution and the "positive secularism" it produced and (b) the French Revolution and the "aggressive secularism" it brought about. 

The discussion echoes, of course, our Pope Emeritus's frequent discussions of (and praise for) "healthy secularity" (which I discuss here and elsewhere).