Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion, art, science, food, and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Today’s topic is secularism.
Secularism is the revolutionary idea held by some people that government and religion should occupy separate realms. While theocracy has been a common and popular form of government in many parts of the world, secularism envisions a separation of church and state. The founding of the United States in the eighteenth century is sometimes hailed as the establishment of the secular state.
The roots of modern secularism are found in Europe. In an article in Free Inquiry, Shadia Drury writes:
“Secularism was the rational solution to the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants that engulphed Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.”
This early secularism developed through the writings of political philosophers Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and John Locke (1632-1704). Hobbes felt that the church should be subordinate to the state, while Locke felt that peace and freedom could be obtained if the state allowed a myriad of different churches to flourish. While the philosophy of secularism has deep historical roots in European thought, secularism as a formal political belief developed during the nineteenth century.
In 1851, the Central Secular Society was formed in London. Among the principles espoused by this society: (1) science is the true guide of man; (2) morality is secular, not religious, in origin; (3) reason is the only authority (4) freedom of thought and speech are basic rights; (5) man should direct his efforts toward this life only.
In the United States, secularism has focused on the idea that there should be a wall between government and religion. Secularists have sought to end the special privileges enjoyed by the religious majority and an end to the legal barriers against religious minorities (largely non-Christian) and unbelievers (often called “infidels” in the nineteenth century). In his entry on secularism in The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief, David Tribe writes:
“This meant the absence of prayers, acts of worship, and tendentious religious instruction in state schools, and the end of public funding for religious schools.”
David Tribe also writes:
“The secular principle defends the basic rights of freedom of conscience, worship, speech, publication, and assembly, and equality of opportunity. A country’s government is for all its people, regardless of the ideology of individuals.”
In an article in Free Inquiry, Timothy Binga summarizes the philosophy of secularism this way:
“Secularism is the idea that religion should not be part of public life (in applying the law, levying taxes, conducting government business, etc.).”
He goes on to say:
“I like to think of secularism as a goal or a process to get to that goal. The idea is that we as a nation (or world, for that matter) should allow everyone to worship (or not worship) as they choose without anything but a general moral restriction (essentially a ‘Golden Rule’ connation: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you). The caveat is that you must worship with your own resources, and you cannot place restrictions on others based on your beliefs.”
Open Thread
This is an open thread. Feel free to common about secularism or to change the subject.