SECULARISM

Question 1

secularism

Answer 1

• theory that links decline of religion to modernisation

Question 2

9/11 altering n.usa n eu values

Answer 2

• challenged capitalist, liberal n western globalisation mindset=sees religion as private belief
• inidicated non-westerners see religion n politics as one
• reinforced view of many that religion=irrational n dangerous when left alone
• challenged endist western view that liberal capitalist society is peak of human hisotry

Question 3

jose casanova in ‘rethinking secularization’
identifies 3 ways in which ppl talk about secularisation

Answer 3

1. ‘decline of belief n practice in modern society. some suggest this is a normal universal,human dev process’-
   - yes? sccording to 2014 british social attitudes survey more ppl claim to be non religous than christian
2. ‘privitisation of religion..where religion shud be private n shouldnt be seen in public’ eg wearing symbolic clothing in places of work.
   - no? major national events such as rememberance day still involve religous organisation
3. ‘the secular seperation of spheres of state, economy, science, which=free from religious instituions’
   - no? bc the monarch is still head of the state n church of england n bishops of Coe sit in house of lords
   - the question of whether the uk is a secular country depends on which

Question 4

steve bruce describes christian in britian as….

Answer 4

• ‘pale shadow of its former self’

Question 5

paul heelas n linda woodhead

Answer 5

• sociologists of religion
• identify a growth in alt spirtualities (eg buddhist mindfulness) as christianity declines

Question 6

is it really the case?

Answer 6

• in 1960s sociologists suggested western eu would lead the way in secularisation n rest of world would follow
• but majority still claim to adhere to a religion n due to immigration this has brought many new faiths to britain
• so charles taylor in ‘secular age’ suggests the presumption that a replaced w/ a plural religious situation
• this means the number of ppl following christianity may be decreasing but secularisation isnt happening due to many other religions that r still followed

Question 7

ludwig feuerbach quote

Answer 7

• ‘what yesterday was still religion is no longer such today; n what today is athesim, tmrw will be religion’

Question 8

procedural secularism

Answer 8

the role of the state is to take into account all interests of all citizens. this means not giving preference or priority to religion but treating it equal to other institutions.

Question 9

programmatic secularism

Answer 9

the role of the state in a plural society is to be purely secular. all religious views should be excluded from public institutions.

Question 10

one problem is when procedural is acc progammatuc
obama quote

Answer 10

‘democracy demands that the religiously motivated most translate their concerns into universal…values. their proposals must be subject to argument and reason, and should not be accorded any undue automatic respect.’

Question 11

secularisation

Answer 11

• the name for the process by which religion plays a smaller role in society

Question 12

Theocracy/fundamentalism

Answer 12

the traditional and now ultra-conservative view that a particular religion should have total political power.

Question 13

Militant atheism or anti-theism

Answer 13

view that religion is harmful even as a private belief n so society would be better off w/out it.
ppl should be legally free to believe it in their private lives, but there should be social n cultural pressure against holding religious beliefs.