Secularism Flashcards

Question

Quote that shows Dawkins belief that religion causes prejudice and violence

Answer 1

"The God of the Old Testament is the most unpleasant character in all fiction"

Answer 2

He points to the actions and life of Jesus as the best example of true Christian morality. Jesus only ever suffered from violence, he never inflicted it.

Answer 3

It depends on people repressing their anti-social instincts (sex and violence) - which religion had successfully done, however that means it has surpassed its usefulness. He believes that now, a secular society would be far superior at this.

Answer 4

Through imposing authority on others. He believes that the better approach would be autonomy, as people would be more likely to follow rules when they aren't forced upon them.

Answer 5

By adopting liberal theologies like Fletcher's and Bonhoeffer's as they adapt Christian theology to the modern world and consequently encourage autonomy.

Answer 6

We need religious values for moral guidance and to constrain our sinful nature. Atheism drags society towards nihilism.

Answer 7

Without God there's no basis or grounding for objective moral values. In an atheistic worldview, the moral views people have reflect their sociocultural conditioning.

Answer 8

They would argue against the complete separation between church and state. Religion is now unnecessary for maintaining social order, so the church shouldn't act as a check on state power.

Answer 9

- Only 1/3 state schools are religious. Families still have choice. - Church attendance is dropping, but many are still Christians and this can be reflected through education. - All schools have mission statements/values, so faith schools are no different. - Pupils in faith schools are as diverse as the societies they exist in; they are not necessarily made up only of their faith background.

Answer 10

- It could be labelling children from a young age - Subjects such as RS and science could be influenced by bias, leading to a risk in radicalisation. - Students aren't fully aware of the rest of secular society.

Answer 11

The earliest Christian community saw itself as living with the secular state; not opposed to it. If society moves towards full secularisation, christians could embrace this as an opportunity to speak without fear without being side-lines as a minority view. It could start to be distinctive away from the state.

Answer 12

The interests of all citizens - religious and non-religious, should be considered by the state. Religion should be treated equally to other institutions but not with preference.

Answer 13

In a plural society, the state should be solely secular. This means religious views and practices should be kept apart from public institutions.

Answer 14

It set out the main aims of modern humanism: (Humanism is a response to the widespread demand for an alternative to dogmatic religion) - All humans are of worth. - Science should be used as a basis for solving human difficulties. - It supports human rights - Personal liberty must be combined with social responsibility.

Answer 15

"The decline of religious belief and practice in modern society" "The privatisation of religion" The secular separation of spheres of state, economy and science which are set free from religious institutions"

Answer 16

It is a pale shadow of its former self, religious belonging as a majority practice has drained away - with religious belief following. Within a few years, the total Christian membership will have dropped below 10% of the total population.

Answer 17

There has been a growth in alternative spiritualities as Christianity declines. The traditional bond between Christianity and British culture is dissolving, whilst spirituality is flourishing.

Answer 18

- The privatisation of religion (link to Casanova and programmatic secularism) - The increase in alternative spirituality (link to Heelas and Woodhead) - The liberal nature of society (As society becomes more progressive, religion increasingly fails to align with these growing ideas) - The secular separation between the church and the state/economy/ science (link to Casanova)

Answer 19

A secular state should not funs schools which are religious. It shouldn't give schools permission to recruit students on the basis of religion and shouldn't worship in the day. This separates religious groups suggesting they live different lives.

Answer 20

originally, schools were built by churches for the poor - therefore churches continue to own a lot of school property, removing schools from church control would be robbery.

Answer 21

Those from religious schools are more open to people from other religions - as there is a more positive outlook to religious diversity in church schools.

Answer 22

Religious schools nurture cultural diversity and prevent identities from disappearing.

Answer 23

Secular education is problematic because where education systems were anti-religion, religion became endangered. Removing religion from culture deprives religion but also people who are trying to make sense of their own culture. m

Answer 24

They have an important role in a liberal democratic state, providing parents with a choice and proving counterbalance to any single driving influence on education.

Answer 25

In our secular age, the presumption that a government will be Christian, and so will the state and the people within it, has been replaced with a plural religious situation.

Answer 26

One that perceives "multiple modernities", where there is a diversity of social patterns - religion is declining, present, absent and resurgent in different ways and in different societies. The assumption that countries would all follow the western european model of modernisation is mistaken.

Answer 27

The experience of vulnerability and helplessness that humans experience as children is made more tolerable by the invented belief that there is a purpose to life, with a moral code advanced by a higher wisdom, and that any injustices in this life will be corrected in the next.

Answer 28

They provide information that humans crave about things that cannot be discovered through a study of reality.

Answer 29

Religion calms infantile fears we have of things we can't change and represses negative human behaviours (sex, crime, lying etc)

Answer 30

It is a cultural carrier for negative information, dividing people and causing conflict as non-believers are seen as inferior.

Answer 31

Through religious dress codes, which oppresses women. The burka not only ensures female submission, it is also a metaphor for the impact that religion has on reducing our ability to percieve/understand things.

Answer 32

The indoctrination of children by religion which creates the "religious mind", a minsin which the sprinkling of water over a babys head can change its life - overruling consent and common sense.

Answer 33

She suggests that there is compelling evidence for positive medical/psychological benefits from religion - due to practices/beliefs such as social gatherings, belief in a loving God, time of reflection and being part of something bigger. "Although these beliefs might be false, they do sometime work: they make us better"

Answer 34

It subverts science, replacing an evidence-based approach to the world with supersticion - leading to the rejection of the truths of evolution and science.

Answer 35

There should be recognition that societies are increasingly multicultural, every person should be recognised for their particular identity rather than living in a way that leads to a loss of distinctiveness. So, no culture should seek to assert itself over others.