Secularism in British Society - Essay Example

For centuries in Britain, monarchs ruled by Crown and Church. There is also the belief that the pope is the god on earth and must have supreme authority over the state. The pope has the right to depose the king throughout the ages. Around the year 1900, English people believed in social progress. "Public drunkenness became rare and alcoholism ceased to be an accepted fact of private life. Literacy became nearly universal, sanitation and diet improved at every level of society. People put great effort into staying clean, and governments built infrastructure that enormously increased the availability of water to common people.

Wages nearly doubled in a generation"(Himmelfarb and Knopf 1995). Britain was so powerful empire with colonies. She was rich commercially as well as in military. It was the era of rapid industrialization and urbanization. On the second half of 19th century, Britain was on the verge of "moral and social collapse". The country was in chaotic condition. Himmelfarb and Knopf noted that "society was riddled with class and racial prejudices that most people today would find gruesome." There was economic crisis, poverty, ignorance and diseases.

Crime was so common that they even have to transport criminals to other state such as Australia. Furthermore, "cities were growing in an almost unregulated fashion as the impoverished peasantries were driven off the land." The government was so corrupt even making the parliament as the tool of aristocratic factions. There was a sense of moral degradation in the state. Many professed to be Christians yet denying its true essence. Poor workers were asked to work for long hours at low wages. The society was separated from the religious world and religion becomes a personal matter.

The idea of the sacred that was long a tradition was lost. People were increasingly concerned on achieving worldly things for personal gains. Secularization has progressively pervaded Britain. Theocracy ceased to have influence or authority on the Englishmen's social and political life. Religion lost its role in shaping political and social policies. It has become even irrelevant to the lives of ordinary people. Levels of Christian observance are even becoming lower than they used to be. The good "Victorian values" people used to follow were viewed as despotic and hypocritical, and gathered too much intellectual reaction.

This cultural change could be traced back to the age of enlightenment. It was the era of philosophy and intellect as well as scientific and cultural development that promoted reason as the prime source and rightful for authority. It gradually created a crisis of faith in Britain. Some of these newly-bred philanthropists were non-believers. Some liberal churches rejected some traditionally known doctrine such as the doctrine of Hell. There was widespread absence at churches, which they normally do every Sunday.