Origin and Nature of Secularism - Literature review Example

Secularism Secularism is a theory that involves detaching all affairs from religious matters, and it assumes that all people are equal before the law irrespective of their religious faith. Secularism has been equated with modernization and a shift from traditional beliefs (Holyoake, 1987). The advocates of secularism believe that it is a promoting democracy in the sense that individuals can make the decision without conflicting with diverse religious and state views. It encourages peace and fairness in the society because there is no discrimination on the basis of region hence this helps to protect the rights of a few minority religious groups. Secularism has been and even now is a very controversial issue since some people believes it is equivalent to godliness while others believes that it is one way the rights of diverse groups can be recognized and protected (Berlinerblau, 2012). In some countries such as South Korea, the United States, Mexico, France, India and Turkey have addressed the issue of secularism in their constitutions. Secularism implies the declaration of the right to be free from religious principles and experiences or enjoying the neutrality of religious faiths imposed by the state upon its people (Berlinerblau, 2012). The supporters of secularism argue that social or political issues of the state should be concluded or decided without the influence of religious values or observations. This is not to mean that religious people will not participate in state issue. Secularism recognizes the society is intertwined in such a way that the state cannot be separate from religion per se (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). However, the implication is that when it comes to making government policies no religious beliefs will be incorporated or play any role whatsoever. Similarly, the state should not influence religious matters. Secularism does not mean non-belief, but it means having a boundary between faith and political or social matters (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). Some people secularism with atheism even though these are two distinct groups or beliefs. Atheism implies that one does no profess any belief whatsoever. On the other hand, secularism offers believers with a structure for independent society. The difference between atheism and secularism is that atheism is inclined towards ungodliness. Atheist have disregard for religious beliefs and practices, and they do promote their disbelief in the deity among the social structure (Holyoake, 1987). However, secularism calls for everyone in the society to uphold their beliefs or disbeliefs without interfering with other people. Therefore, atheism is a practice that tend to influence other people’s practices while secularism is liberty from the influence of others or not to cause interference to others. There is a challenge because atheists have always regarded themselves as secular (Berlinerblau, 2012). However, secularism is of paramount significance because it helps to protect religion against dilution by the state. Secularism will promote peace and prosperity of the nations because people from diverse religious groups will be incorporated in the state affairs without regard of their religious backgrounds (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). In a secular society, the policy makers do not accommodate individual views of the affiliated to any religion. Sometimes there are conflicts of opinions where the issue of morality is to be discussed between people from different religious background. This make it makes it difficult for the policy makers to arrive at an amicable decision. For example, different religious groups have different views about abortion since some do not think it wrong while others are opposed to it. If such different groups were to come together in order to make a policy to deal with abortion, it would be too difficult to come to a conclusion (Berlinerblau, 2012). Therefore, secularism will avoid the diverse religious views and make state policies based on reasons rather than beliefs that have no means to test their validity. It will enable the government to pass policies based on secular pinions without affiliation to any faith. Therefore, the state will be able to address the issues of same-sex marriage, abortion, contraception, sex education and genetically modified organisms (GMO) from a secular point of view and without opposition from divergent religious faiths (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). Some Christians and Muslim groups are opposed to secularism because they consider it as a threat to their freedom and a threat to national security. The making of state policies is purely based on secular considerations without any religious opinion. For example, when passing the laws on abortion the policy makers have to consider the benefit that policy to the people and the consequences it will have on them (Holyoake, 1987). After careful examination of the impact procurement of abortion will have on individuals and the economy, the state can then pass the law purely inconsiderate of the implications that this issue will have on the religious beliefs. Although some people think that secularism is the separation of people with the state, Secularism and "separationism" means different things in society. Separationism is an ideology of secluding the state and the religion completely while secularism enables the state and religion to coexist together, but prohibits one party from exerting its influence on the other party (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). The issues of separation of state and religion would mean that the state does not meddle with the affairs of the government, or the government does not hamper the affairs of the religion. On the contrary, secularism reflects in the political and social structures of the states whereby each individual group operates on its own without influence of the other. In the United States, there are several religious groups such as Islamic, Christianity, Judaism Hinduism among others (Holyoake, 1987). America has been defined as a religious nation by some people while others consider it as a secular nation. It accommodates various religious groups because the constitution advocates and protects the freedom of worship irrespective of the religious background (Berlinerblau, 2012). The religion ideologies are not incorporated in the political policies in order to ensure smooth policy decisions. Secularism promotes fairness and equality in the nation when sharing national resources regardless of the views, beliefs and practices of different individuals in the society (Berlinerblau, 2012). The government gets taxes from the people and uses the tax revenue to provide essential commodities to the public. The state does not tax some individuals and leave others untaxed. Similarly, the state does not choose on who will consume state resources and who will not be provided with such commodities. All citizens have similar opportunities to enjoy the public resources such as hospitals, security services, schools and other national infrastructures irrespective of the social, political or religious backgrounds (Holyoake, 1987). Therefore, secularism will enable individuals to enjoy national resources without discrimination of any form. A culture that permits discrimination along religious beliefs or on other basis will impinge the rights of a few minorities hence preventing them from sharing national resources with the same rights like others (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). All public institutions should not have a religious affiliation because religious attachments will results to unfairness since some people will tend to enjoy the resources more than others. The individuals who have different religious belief or secular will feel discriminated in the sharing of national resources. Also, if the government awards a contract to a religious body to provide public services that an organization should provide that service in a neutral environment in order to favor all the citizens fairly (Berlinerblau, 2012). Therefore, secularism promotes fairness in the sharing of public resources. Secularism is a way of protecting believer’s liberty against the influence of the state in an orderly manner (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). It gives worshipers liberty to carry out their activities as long as they do not breach the rights of other citizens. Furthermore, secularism recognizes the rights of those who do not profess any religious faith at all. Worship is a way in which believers express their faith about their deities. Different religions have different beliefs which at times conflicts with those secular or other religious groups. Without secularism individuals would always conflict with each other and society would so chaotic. Therefore, secularism advocates that different people professing different beliefs can coexist together peacefully, and each individual can fulfill his or her wishes without exerting influence and being influenced by the other people (Berlinerblau, 2012). Secularism is a way of protecting the liberty of all people. It is untrue that secularism intends to limit the liberty of expression and conscience among the religious worshipers, but rather it a means to recognize the diversity of culture and conscience for religious and non religious citizens. Secularism means quick decision making in the society. No individual beliefs should prevail when making decisions, but the policymakers should be guided by morality when choosing what is beneficial to the majority (Berlinerblau, 2012). It is difficult to address policies issues in a mixed society because the parties must come to a consensus first before they can achieve their goals. This implies that the parties have to make some compromises in order to accommodate the views of the other party. Where several parties are involved in decision making, it may not be possible to come for the parties to come into consensus. This makes it so difficult for the parties concerned to make amicable decisions (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). Therefore, due to much time wasted in decision making process, secularism remains the best way to go in order to be able to address policy issues amicably. The state should not be concerned in the establishment of religion because this will cause structural instabilities (Berlinerblau, 2012). Secularism will go a long way to address the issues of minority groups such as rights of women, gay marriage. The state should avoid interfering with the personal affairs such as relationships, but instead it should focus on solving matters of national importance. Therefore, when the government policies on gay marriage and the like, this is unnecessary influence it is exerting on the society (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). If the government opts to “mix civil politics with national politics” this will cause conflicts in the society. Individuals should be left alone to choose whom to marry and how to go about the marriage process. Religion is the cradle of morality in the society. A society without religion is an immoral society. Religion assists the public with an idea of what is right and what is wrong (Berlinerblau, 2012). If the society adopts secularism there is an assumption that the conducts of an individual does not affect the rights or freedom other people. In reality I believe this does not arise. For example, in America which believes in secularism hosts radical Islamists who believe in Jihad? In such a society, the holy war declared by the radical Islamists will obviously impact the lives of secularists. In the same state, the government passes the policies which affect civil politics such as the gay marriages (Calhoun, et.al, 2011). If secularism assumes decision making is based on common benefits to the society, in what way does gay marriage benefit the society? This is promotion of moral decadence, and yet if the decision made incorporated religious views, there is no way such a policy could have been passed. Therefore, the society cannot be completely secularized, and if we assume secularism in the society the religious groups will be denied their rights of expression. The region should be the watchdog of morality in the society. In conclusion, secularism is a modern path for religion and other non believers to express their opinions in the society with causing social, political or economic friction to the other members of the society. It enables different individuals and groups in the society to coexist together without exerting pressure on each other. This is different from separationism, and it is not the same as atheism. However, religion is the source of morality in the community hence ignoring the region in the state matters is equivalent to immoral state. The views of different members in the society should be accommodated in the affairs of state, and since state and religion are intertwined it is impossible to get rid of religion in government issues and yet religion is the custodian of morality in the community. References Berlinerblau, J. (2012). A Role Religion Does Play And Should Play In American Government. Twitter. Retrieved on 24th February 2014 from Http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2012/09/17/the-role-religion-does-play-and-should-play-in-american-government/ Calhoun, C., Juergensmeye, M. & Antwerpen, J. (2011). Rethinking Secularism. Oxford University Press, USA. Holyoake, G. J. (1987). Origin and Nature of Secularism Showing That Where Free Thought Commonly Ends Secularism Begins. Era books. Read More