Secularism And Its Effect On Society Religion Essay

Secularism is the separation of province and faith. It is the exclusion or rejection of faith from political or civil personal businesss of the province. Bing an ancient belief of some ancient Grecian and Roman philosophers like Marcus Aurelius it has developed and expanded to make different corners of the universe. However, the term “ secularism ” is comparatively new as it was foremost mentioned or coined by the British author George Holyoake in 1851. In the 1700 ‘s different authors and philosophers of the Enlightenment Age had proposed its application in society. High Renaissance writers besides gave rise to secularism and idealism in their plants formed from Classicism, but it was largely in historical instead than artistic and architectural plants. Therefore, secularism was officially “ born ” or started during the Renaissance but found a certain terms in the eighteenth century during the Age of Reason. The construct and its application grew stronger with the Gallic revolution transporting until today. The most secular provinces in modern-day times have more than doubled the figure of non-secular provinces. However, some secular provinces do non use it to the full and still detect some spiritual foibles like vacations. Some provinces, nevertheless, do non hold a defined province faith because of different patterns of a big figure of its citizens. For illustration, Nigeria has Islam, Christianity and other Traditional faiths — but non every bit much as the first two- as the official faiths of the state. The full state observes both Islamic and Christian vacations and puts aside money in its budget for different intents for this faith. Hence, secularism has had a encouragement in the last two to three centuries.

Since its outgrowth, faith holds the function or position as the footing for jurisprudence and all other legalities. It is the exclusive beginning of jurisprudence and everyone is expected to obey its regulations and ordinances and failure to make so consequences in penalty of the guilty individual or individuals by spiritual edict. Therefore, the proper function of faith in every society is to put down the regulations or Torahs to be followed by every member. It besides encompasses the full life of a individual, from his or her birth, day-to-day activities and even to demise and farther. Religion is absolute i.e. it is a godly edict from the Almighty.

Europe was widely Roman Catholic Christians due to the Roman vanquishers of the Dark and Middle Ages. Europe was a really spiritual continent. Hence, faith was the jurisprudence seting the church over even the opinion Monarchs and Lords. However, this agreement depended on the state and sometimes changed harmonizing to the swayer. For illustration, King Richard the Lion Heart of England was a strong Catholic and a leader of the campaigns hence, had a good standing with the church while his brother John besides known as John Lackland who became king after him did non. Pope Innocent II excommunicated him due to a difference between them on who was to be the following Archbishop of Canterbury. Because the olden Norman and Angevin male monarchs of England had had considerable influence with the church, he besides assumed he could. However, the church triumphed and he kept on paying the church compensation money for some clip.

Therefore, spiritual regulations have been around for a long clip due to faith and its willing followings. It can besides be seen from the clip of its outgrowth and development from animism to polytheism and eventually monotheism, all faiths allow for the belief in a power or divinity that sets regulations. These regulations have been sometimes to the advantage of society and at other times to its hurt. For case, in pre-Christian Rome, human forfeit or bloodshed is said to be the bringer of the God ‘s and goddesses ‘ clemency on the people of Rome. Human forfeit brought about rainfall, good crop and abundant wealth. Therefore, it brought about the birth of the gladiators and their legendary battles to “ delight ” the divinities. Another illustration would be the Indian forfeit of a widow on her dead hubby ‘s funeral pyre or subsequently times the terminal of her societal life and she is considered a bad fortune appeal for anyone. Therefore, faith compelled society to either kill these widows or cut them off from society and coerce them to populate together without support, have oning merely white and selling their organic structures to feed themselves most of the clip. Some faiths even back up and O.K. of incest particularly brother-sister incest which can be seen in Egyptian, Nipponese and Chinese royal households of the olden yearss. Hence, the proper function of faith in society is to set up and convey order non chaos to religion. But for the most portion, Europe engaged in wars between its states due to religion giving 1000s of lives to its cause. For illustration, the Campaigns that were undertaken three times by different states that threw all of their money into them by to a great extent taxing their people to finance wars which were lost in the terminal. Some states, like England and France ne’er recovered to the full from this economical forfeit which can be said the developments in both these states because of hapless criterion of life.

State faith in France after the revolution gave manner to province godlessness which promoted the suppression of faith. It is overriding to understand that secularism promotes spiritual freedom while maintaining it from act uponing its Torahs while godlessness does non back up the pattern of faith at all. In modern or modern-day times, secularism is more popular because it promotes equality of faiths before the jurisprudence and can squelch accusal of favouritism towards one faith.

However, in communist provinces province godlessness is promoted. The modern universe should non abandon or pass on faith to the side as it is being done in most modern provinces. It is a given that some provinces have more than one major faiths to see. This might a present a job to most provinces when it comes to jurisprudence devising. However in Nigeria, the jurisprudence shapers have done a good occupation instilling its major faiths i.e. Islam and Christianity with great consequences. The state besides recognizes other patterns of the less populated traditional faiths accepting some things like matrimony, paternity and acceptance without a demand for a legal representative at the clip. It can be said that faith threw Europe in to a province of war, but it can non be refuted that it besides brought about stableness at the clip of its outgrowth in Europe. However, most people particularly the philosopes like Denis Diderot rejected the thought of God doing faith synonymous to societies agonies. He wrote an essay about a deceasing blind professor, Lettre Sur lupus erythematosuss aveugles, in which he promoted his political orientation. It is believed Diderot ‘s sister ‘s decease in a convent where she was a nun contributed to his disfavor of faith.

Therefore, it can be seen that agonies of people of the hapless at the custodies of the church led to many Europeans credence of godlessness. On the other manus, it most provinces that have a individual faith as its province faith and being non-secular have a comparatively unagitated and orderly society. For illustration, the Middle Eastern states that usage Islam as their functionary faith use the Qur’an and the instructions of the Prophet Muhammad ( S.A.W ) as their jurisprudence. Although there is crisis in the Middle East states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates enjoy a peaceable societal and economical life which orderly and chaos-free.

The separation of faith and province Torahs both has its advantages and disadvantages. It is still an on-going argument on whether its benefits outweigh its defects. If province is separated from faith, Torahs will hold no direct spiritual influence. Man made spiritual regulations stating is non the jurisprudence. Tolerance of other faiths will be developed. Nepotism and segregation or bias due to spiritual difference will greatly cut down. The province will non add spiritual disbursals to its budget go forthing it with more financess to prosecute other province affairs or jobs. Atheist can besides be tolerated and their positions heard. Freedom of look is greatly promoted in these societies. Democracy is besides promoted.

On the other manus, if province is non separate from faith it will incur excess disbursals. There is less tolerance of other faiths and their pattern as can be seen in topographic points like Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E, Yemen and Israel to a great extent towards Muslims. Religious expressions are considered as jurisprudence. Atheism every bit good as bad talking the faith will be considered unorthodoxy and might even be punishable by decease as seen during the church ‘s powerful clasp in Europe.

However, some of the advantages above can besides turn into these disadvantages while some of the disadvantages turn into advantages. For illustration, tolerance of godlessness can take to its widespread and the diminution in faith as evidenced in Europe with the coming of unbelieving Enlightened philosophers. Although there was no tolerance in most states, the Netherlands allowed these people to print most of their plants and in making so helped the spread of godlessness. Democracy can be said to be extremely overrated because most provinces practising it can besides conflict on the rights of others and non digest their spiritual freedom. For illustration, the jurisprudence that was passed in France by President Nicholas Sarkozy to forestall Muslim adult females from covering their caput infringed on their freedom of faith and look. So besides were the penalties administered by most churches in early Europe which sometimes involved stoning or decapitating depending on the magnitude of the wickedness in the church ‘s eyes. However, these rights subsequently left the custodies of the churches and transferred to the feudal Godheads who still took advices from their assigned priests. This nevertheless, seemed to decrease the penalty taking it off from adult females and kids but largely between work forces and their feudal Godheads. However, a more outstanding illustration of non-separation jobs can be seen with the Catholic Popes of the Renaissance epoch in Italy. Their frivolous and epicurean life style damaged the image of faith and gave it no acceptance in the eyes of the trusters. They did n’t care for their people and largely left them to endure. Another illustration is the epoch of the Plantagenet Kings of England. All of these male monarchs made England a really hapless and unhappy state by taxing its people to a great extent and changeless battle in wars that were largely junior-grade and selfish. Further, Philip II launched a naval onslaught on England because of faith and without a idea to his people and their support cut down Spain ‘s woods to construct his ships led to the economic diminution of Spain which was one time had a robust economic system. Therefore, by dividing or non dividing faith and province, pandemonium occurs. However, it is wiser to maintain faith as a footing for jurisprudence devising. Divine messages if followed adamantly lead to peace non anarchy as can be seen in Saudi, U.A.E, Qatar, Brunei and others.

Secularism in modern-day universe has led to worsen in earlier extremely valued ethical motives. Nowadays, sexual relationships are openly carried out i.e. a twosome can travel in together with the cognition with both their parents and other people in society. On the other manus, non-secular and Old Europe frowned upon something like this. Fornication and criminal conversation are seen as a wickedness from a spiritual point of position everyplace in the universe. Although, the sovereign and blue bloods still indulged in the “ pleasances of the flesh ” and the priests and society look the other manner every bit long as they are discreet for case Henry VII with his six married womans and countless kept womans. However, this illustration is alone to those societies that at the clip were non really spiritual, frivolous and at times helter-skelter.

For illustration, Italian Renaissance that was characterized with frivolousness and worldly chases because of they were non practising spiritual expressions. This epoch can be identified with one of Europe ‘s most disgraceful and licentious relationships and tonss of single female parents who suffered greatly. Synonymously, in the modern universe, the Western universe is extremely secular and as such it besides faces the job of teenage gestation, single individual female parents populating in poorness, high divorce rates, and legion instances of unfaithfulness and so on. However, after the moving ridge of frivolousness during the Renaissance had been cleared by Paul III and hid replacements, the enlightenment age brought with it a new moving ridge of low moral criterions. It can be seen from the 18th to the nineteenth century how extra-marital personal businesss became about legalized. A married woman was chiefly the agencies to an inheritor. She was required to be faithful to her hubby until she has given him an inheritor so that there will be no competition as to who the kid ‘s male parent was. She can so hold her personal businesss every bit long as she was discreet while the hubby besides has his ain kept womans and personal businesss. Therefore, bogus kids belonging to the Lords and blue bloods were really high in figure with a great many of the boies given rubrics while the girls are at most times educated. All these epochs though accepting of these low lesson values make societal outcast out of its practicians.

Therefore, secularism might advance or develop persons to be independent but it does non protect them from the rough worlds of life. A spiritual and orderly society do non hold such jobs, although they do occur but non in such high Numberss as in secular provinces. For illustration, the Puritans live their lives merely though of modern times, they do non believe in worldly pleasances. Furthermore, the rate of self-destruction is seen to be much higher in secular provinces. There may be spiritual forfeits as in the widow combustion in Hinduism or lapidating in Islam, it nevertheless, does non claim as many lives as self-destruction in the Western secular provinces. Furthermore, both of the aforesaid patterns have falling into neglect while self-destruction is the most approaching and pressing job of deceases in secular societies.

Having lived in a non-secular society where faith governs our twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours lives. I have witnessed how spiritual expressions from God can be turned and manipulated to accommodate the demands of work forces. In my sentiment, secularism is a good thought but it besides does n’t acquire to be practiced the manner it is supposed to be. For illustration, late the Gallic authorities although naming itself secular passed a measure to halt adult females or specifically Muslim adult females from covering their faces. It is absolutely allowed to approve those that refuse to demo their faces for security grounds, but why persecute all on the footing of a impression or what a minority does? It goes to demo that both secular and non-secular provinces need to work on where they stand in the modern universe. Timess have changed since people will take in pace what the province dictates. As it can be informants in France, although adult females are being sanctioned and charged, they still rebelliously wear their caput covering. To them, their head covering is and individuality of who they are and what they represent as Muslim adult females. The Gallic authorities will make good to larn from past errors of enforcing countenances on their people and its terminal consequences i.e. the revolution.

I believe that faith plays a function in society that can be at most positive and sometimes negative. However, both sides can be argued harmonizing to one ‘s ain point of position. For an academic ( western instruction ) , socialist or scientific point of position faith has more negative than positive sides. For illustration, gender inequality, female instruction and sacrificial functions to do person give up his/her life. On the other manus, theologists or spiritual bookmans will give recognition to the positive side of faith for conveying approximately peace, repose and equity. For case, Islam in Arabia pulled the people out of ignorance or Jahiliyyah as the period is known to a blissful clip of peace and love for all. Further, in the Christian and Islamic books i.e. the Bible and Qur’an severally, narratives showcased the manner faith brought the people peace and flight from harsh and ruthless swayers as in the narratives of Moses, Abraham and Jesus. Hence, the merger of these two positions still proves to be ineffectual. To my apprehension, until these two opposing point of positions are united, secularism can non and will non be practiced to everyone ‘s satisfaction.

Democracy can non be practiced to the full without any partizan influence from spiritual groups either. The 9/11 onslaughts claimed by the Taliban are now being seen as onslaughts orchestrated by Jews and some say by the American authorities itself. President George Bush, the former president was said to be a member of a spiritual groups that rule America between themselves therefore, extinguishing any hint that all past democratic opinions were just. Current president Barack Obama besides hit a brick wall during his run for the station. Because of his Muslim-like name and his roots, he was considered a Muslim sitting as a Christian to acquire Islam to govern America. This influenced so many people non to vote him reasonably based on a judgement of his character. By dividing faith and province, the title has merely fueled the widening spread between the two most dominant faiths in the universe ergo in America excessively. Schools do non learn their students much about faith ; hence, they come out with a icteric position created by the media. Most politicians besides do non conceal their antipathy for other faiths as can be seen by Sarah Palin and her anti-Islamic sentiments.

European history in its class from the ancient Greeks to the Romans to the Celts and the Vikings to Feudal systems and absolutist Monarchies and eventually to the reaching of constitutional monarchy and democracy has shaped the universe to what it is today. The West is the manner it is thanks to these people who lived 100s of old ages ago. But unhappily, the universe is yet to open their eyes and learn from past errors. European history in its class has shown us how tyranny or absolutisms can crumple in mere yearss when the people revolt. But the enticement of power is excessively much for most leaders that they forget the yesteryear and merely indulge in the present and pigment and program a happy hereafter. This can be witnessed in the recent moving ridge of unrest passing through some of the North African and In-between Eastern states. The leaders of these states had been at that place since land come but are non ready to lose that power they hold so in their clasp. It took a revolution for most of these swayers to give up and step aside ; nevertheless, some refuse like Libyan and Yemenis presidents. In my sentiment, it all comes down to greed and the lecherousness for power. The features of these people can be witnessed from other historical figures like Napoleon I of France, John I of England, Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, Philip II of Spain and others. Most of these leaders thirst and lust for power led to their ultimate ruin most particularly Napoleon and his quest to make an imperium for himself all over Europe.

In decision, I believe secularism is merely applicable to some provinces while in others it can ne’er be good implemented. To my apprehension, African states like Nigeria can non work good under secular regulation because of the assorted spiritual groups in the state. Other topographic points that witness Islam as the dominant faith can ne’er utilize secularism to regulate a province. Islam itself brings an full system of the manner a province under Islamic regulation is supposed to map. It can be seen that most of these Middle Eastern provinces have flourished under this system. For Christianity, I believe the Vatican is a typical illustration of a spiritual province being ruled by a spiritual system that works reasonably darned good. The Pope as its caput and the people under him are go forthing in a peaceable and non-hectic environment. However, the Christian universe ( West ) has learned another lesson from European history of Christian wars and its regulations. Therefore, it is wary of traveling back for seconds after interrupting off and organizing other positions that do non conform to the Catholic Church. As the expression goes “ one time bitten twice diffident ” so besides do most Christians feel they can non travel back under influence and regulation by the Church. But most of all European history, particularly the Enlightenment age has left its grade on history by recommending godlessness. As some figures and statistics show, the universe faiths are worsening in figure as more and more people stop believing in God. Atheism has spread its wings to touch every corner of the universe non merely the West but Asia and Africa, two of the most spiritual continents in the universe. Hence, most people believe the turning rate of godlessness should be synonymous with secularism so as to make a balance between the trusters and the non-believers. However, I believe lone clip will state what is the right way for us to follow and convey peace and harmoniousness to our otherwise helter-skelter universe.