Secularism

Question 1

What is secularism

Answer 1

Secularism is the view that the state should play no role in the running of the state, government and public life

Question 2

What are the two forms of secularism

Answer 2

1. Procedural secularism argues that the state should take into account the interests of all citizens and show no preference or prioritise a religion but treat it equal to other institutions
2. Programmatic secularism believes that the role of the state in a plural society should be comepletely secular, all religious beliefs should be steerage from public institutions

Question 3

What probelms does the notions of prOcedural and programmatic secularism pose

Answer 3

• when does procedural secularism become programmatic secularism?
• Which form of secularism is favourable?

Question 4

What does archbishop rowan Williams prefer

Answer 4

• rowan Williams argues that procedural secularism is more favourable is it portrays the role of the state as “community of communities” and allows people to acknowledge both the authority of their own religion and the state
• procedural secularism is a very Christian idea, the role of the church was always to spread the gospel, not govern society

Question 5

What does France argue for

Answer 5

• programmatic secularism
• 2004 no rleIGiosu wearing in schools

Question 6

What is secularisation

Answer 6

Secularisation is the active secularising of society by removing religion from all public institutions , also the erosion of all religions significance

Question 7

What is the two broad reasons for secularisation

Answer 7

Sociological evidence - fewer and fewer people practice religions, iT has now nto got a space in provelaged society
- religious harm

Question 8

What si the secularisation thesis

Answer 8

A sociological term deserving the process of secularisation, to is defined as a growing number of people who no longer have religious affiliation

Question 9

What si a probelm with defining and measurinG terms

Answer 9

• people who show no religious affiliation has doubled but many people still be,ieve in a bid or higher power
• lack fo attendance to church may be due to a decline in beleifs in traditional religion but there is still a large majority which beleiev in spirituality

Question 10

What is the problem fo authority

Answer 10

There is a decline in influence of religions and is benign replaced by new movements
- society isn’t becoming more secular

Question 11

Who are two scientist whuch argeud for secular positivism

Answer 11

• idea scientific religions will take over religions
• Freud and dawkins

Question 12

What was Freud view on religion

Answer 12

• the main cusse of mental illnesses
• argues religion only has a place in early stages of human development and is not necessary once man has developed the power of reason

Question 13

What view did Hume support proposed by Freud

Answer 13

• he agreeed that there is no need for religion in a developed society
• he argued religious is childish and for uneducated people, there is no space for religion in developed society

Question 14

How does Freud argue religion is a result of wish fulfilment

Answer 14

• doctor wrote to Freud about hwo he saw a dead sweet faced old woman in a dissecting room which led him to lose faith but regained in conversion experience. This was to Freud to reassess his atheism
• reasons for Freud atheism was due to his prayers never being answered and more importantly becuase he could rationally explain the doctors renewed faith and was a case of the Oedipus conflict

Question 15

What does Freud argue is teh rational explanation for the doctors faith

Answer 15

• the sweet faces woman reminded the doctor of his mother, this experience roused a longing for his mother from his Oedipus conflict, he was also mad at god the father for treating his mother wrong
• the religious experience was an experience fo him feeling guilt as he did for disobeying his father when he was younger. So the religious conversion was no more than a wish fulfilment to restore his childhood sense of security

Question 16

Describe religion as an infantile illusion

Answer 16

• Freud describes religion as a powerful and effective means of overcoming fears of death and suffering. It is a good comforter against the terrors of nature -> same way a child is comforted with a set routine by their parents
• continue of the suppression, this is notable in many prayers where the person asks for forgiveness, keeps the ego from being controlled
• Freud concludes that religion is a universal obsession neurosis, the suppression of sexual urges and desires with the promise of afetrlfke

Question 17

What is a critique of Freud

Answer 17

Freud was a reductionist who wanted to explain everything in material and mechanic,a Terms
- Keith ward argeud reductionism is not an adequate answer to the overwhelming amount of that believ in religion and spiritual experiences
- believed in his friends oceanic experience

Question 18

What is criticism fo Freud

Answer 18

• a,though it is neurotic and obsessional, this does not take away from their truth claims
• although he argues it is an obsessional infantile illusion which cuts people off from the world, it can argued that religion is also enabling which allows us to see the world in a deeper meaning and appreciate life more

Question 19

What si dawkins arguments

Answer 19

• religion has got a disproportionate place in society but is not challenged due to people respecting its religious beliefs and these beleiev do are dangerous and intolerant, argues they are the source of mental and physical harm

Question 20

What is Dawkins argument if science reason, religion and delusion

Answer 20

• starts off by saying why would anyone want to beleiev something there is n evidence for, nature and science have clear evdience through theory of evolution
  -nature and evolutionary theory has a wide range of evidence which makes more sense on how minds beauty and morality emerge than supernatural creator

Question 21

What is delusion

Answer 21

• persistent false beleif contrary to vast amount of evidence, god is a false beleif as there is much evidence to point towards evolutionary theirs

Question 22

What does Steven jay goulg argue

Answer 22

• non overlapping magesteria (noma) argues that the supernatural world is of a whole different kind to the material world so the same scientific and natural acquire is not acceptable or applicable

Question 23

What does Dawkins argue to noma

Answer 23

• all things are subject to scietinifc and natural enquiry otherwise irrational beleifs would be formed
• when reason is applied to religion all that’s an be said is that existence of god is inconclusive
• only rationals hold atheism