Beliefs And Claims Of Secularism example essay topic

Secularism The world today is filled with a variety of religions. Different religions cause conflict because of the dissimilar beliefs as with secularism. Secularism is the indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations according to the dictionary. The religious civilization acknowledges secularism as any movement in society directed away from the otherworldliness to life on earth. No matter which way it is defined the main point is that God is excluded from all human affairs. There is no God in secularism.

It is just the world and nothing else. If there is some form of a God, then it is perceived to be too far for our understanding. Modern cultures have changed a lot in the world in which we stand, but secularism can be found everywhere in the past, the present, and it will be there in the future. Secularism has been around for over five hundred years and the process of science and psychology is slowly picking up speed along with development. Science and psychology play a big role in how we view things including our religious beliefs and our views of God. God created this beautiful world around us, and he watches over us and speaks to us.

Unfortunately, science has become very popular and scientists are constantly searching for the "truth". God created the world and put Adam on it with Eve, yet science will state that the Big Bang created the world and constantly search for inconsistency in everything from Jesus to the Bible. Science is distorting our view of the modern world. This has become a big problem because it seems as though secularism has become a political movement, instead of a philosophy or religious belief. It is more serious because our view of the world has changed as well as our view of God and what he did and didn't do. The scientific move towards the world develops into a problem because it is now a philosophy or ideology that contradicts the truth of morality and faith.

The beliefs and claims of secularism is "a form of opinion which concerns itself only with questions, the issues of which can be tested by the experience of this life. More explicitly, secularism is that which seeks the development of the physical, moral, and intellectual nature of man to the highest possible point, as the immediate duty of life - which selects as its methods of procedure the promotion of human improvement by material means, and proposes these positive agreements as the common bond of union, to all who would regulate life by reason and ennoble it by service". Secularism is there for the people who find theology untrue or it is all just too unbelievable for them to clasp. It is much easy to understand and believe secularism than to try to fathom or comprehend something or someone that no one can see. Improvement of life by only material means, it is good to seek and do good no matter what it is, and science is the existing Providence of man, are the three most essential 'laws' of secularism that are to be followed. The origination of secularism can be referred back to many well known names; as well as, articles, magazines, and a variety of either publication.

"The Counsellor", which was later transformed into the "National Reformer " and"The Secular World and Social Economist, are just some of the titles of these well known magazines. The articles would consist of anything from secularization being taught in public education to the disestablishment of the church. Not only could secularism be found anywhere, but some very famous philosophers are too connected to this belief. Rene Descartes was a philosopher back in the early sixteen hundreds who based his whole belief of the world on his own capacity to think.

He was famous for the quote "I think, therefore I am". He later took this saying and used it to apply to the existence of God and man. Descartes way of thinking wiped out an entire era and started a new one. In addition to Descartes, Charles Darwin invented naturalism and brought its atheistic views to light. God was not needed to explain the mysteries of the universe.

Physical causes were the explanation for everything. This scientific revolution leads to the philosophy 'naturalism'. Blatantly, naturalism is the idea that the only thing is the natural world and nothing else. Charles Darwin opened the door to this viewpoint. There was no God, he was denied, all on earth had come from an "inanimate matter without any intervention of a Supreme Being and without any purpose". This was the Darwinian Theory that riveted through the world and gave new beliefs to followers.

The Declaration of Independence is a very important document that allowed the world new hope. Secularism could be compared to this vital document. It is in fact a declaration of intellectual independence. Furthermore, it is a protest against theological oppression and against the simple fact of wasting ones life for the sake of one we don't know of.

Secularism expresses the truth about living in the present life and not in the supernatural or unknown. It lives and strives on the day - to -day life, and the coming tomorrow. Secularism gives answers to people that are undecided or confused about the world and God. I think that it is much easier to accept and understand secularism than try to under the faith or believe in God. It is more realistic for our liberal society. Life becomes so much easier when you are living for yourself and each other, for the present instead of the past, and for this world instead of another.

I would rather have the right to express my thoughts instead of having to listen to the priests, and the popes. Secularism gives serenity to the soul. Additionally, I like the fact that secularism sees work as worship and labor as prayer. In a hard, face paced world, that is more realistic and understanding to me. Work is a sacrifice and it is done everyday by millions of people to survive, yet we see it as a mandatory way of life instead of forfeit to God. Consequently, many people can not get into a church on Sunday; however, they are looked down upon instead of being accepted for all the hard work they do everyday.

Thousands of years ago people killed animals and even people as a sacrifice for the Lord, so why can't we use labor as prayer and work as worship. Today, the world has been violated by so many horrible occurrences that it sees many cultures and other religions as secularists. For instance, the Muslim religion is sometimes compared to secularism. If interviewed today they would have a different story.

To them secularism is incompatible with Islam. "Some even maintain that as long as one is Muslim he cannot be a secularist". Maulana Maud udi, from Pakistan, stated that 'secularism was haram and all those who participated in secular politics in India would be rebels against Islam and enemies of Allah. We have to remember that where there are different religions there are different beliefs. Some of our religions have liberal beliefs as well as conservative beliefs and each has scriptures that they quote to such as the Qur " an. Not only was the Qur " an used, but people also referred to the Prophet.

This made things even more complicated, so many started to draw up their own conclusions. Once, the death of the Prophet occurred then the Islamic state came into existence; however, it was not followed. New empires came into existence and they did not follow this model. "Both the empires were based on personal and authoritarian rule and were Islamic only in name". The chain off events passes down and down and became more secularized then ever. It is hard to try to separate or compare a religion to secularism.

Islam can be interpreted harshly or liberally. If Islam was very open-minded then there would be no problem with it being secular. The Qur " an can actually be quoted as having strong supports for secularism. However, one must remember that it only supports liberal secularism not atheistic secularism. Liberal secularism does not believe in atheism; furthermore, it only promotes pluralism.

There is no doubt that today in modern society there is a big emphasis on human rights and the freedom of the conscience. Secularism can be viewed as good or bad. One thing is certain, and that is that many people fear secularism will take over. Instead of everyone being conservative they will have a secular view.

It is much easier for society to understand secularism. Civilization wants to be free and they want the right to have their own beliefs. No one is going to agree with everyone and no one is going to have or follow the same God or beliefs. Unfortunately, religion will be what separates and divides us as individuals and as a nation.