Secularism

Secularism 

Secularism is the concept that government or entities should exist separately from religion and for religion beliefs . In one sense , secularism may assert the right to be free from religious rule and teachings , and freedom from the government impostion of religion upon the people within a state privilege or subsidies to relgions . In another sense , it refers to the viewcthat huan activities and decision , especially political ones , should be based on evidence and fact unbaised by religious influence . The purposes and arguments in support of secularism vary widely . In european laicism , it has been argued that secularism is a movement toward modernization , and away from traditional religious values . This type of secularism on a social or philosphical level has often occured while maintaining an official state church or other state support of religion .

Secularism is only  the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries . 

In the united states , some argue taht state secularism has served to a greater extent to protect religion from government interfrence , while secularism on a social level is less prevalent 

This paper intends to focus upon the vvarious definitions and perpestive of secularism and try to understand the concept of secularism and its relvance the modern times . 

Though secularism is a modern concept, related ideas may be found in the works of ancient philosophers from many civilizations. Among the earliest documentations of a secular form of thought is seen in the Charvaka  system of philosophy in India, which held direct preception ,empricism  and conditional inference as proper sources of knowledge, and sought to reject the prevailing religious practices of that time. Zeno of citium and Marcus Aurleius are also notable examples.

 Secularism was emerged in the West with the establishment of reason over religious faith as human reason was gradually liberated from unquestioned subjection to the dominion of religion and superstition. Secularism first appeared in the West in the Classical philosophy and politics of ancient Greece, disappeared for a time after the decline of the Classical world, but resurfaced after a millennium and a half in the renaissance and the reformation. 

The subsequent enlightnment hailed Nature as the "deep reality" that transcended the corrupted man-made institutions of society. Consequently, the rights of man were not considered as God-given, but as the de facto benefits of Nature as revealed by Reason.

 John locke , Denis Deodrat , Voltaire , Baruch Spinoza , and Thomas Paine  and other Enlightenment thinkers contributed much to the formation of secularist notions.In recent times, secularism has been represented by such intellectuals as Robert Ingersoll, Bertrand Russell and Christopher Hitchens.

State Secularism

 Secularism is a movement towards the separation of religion and government .This can refer to reducing ties between a government and a state religion , replacing laws based on scriputure with civil laws, and eliminating discrimination on the basis of religion. This is said to add to democracy by protecting the rights of religious minorities.

Separation of church and state is but one possible strategy to be deployed by secular governments. From the democratic to the authoritarian, such governments share a concern to limit the religious side in the relationship. Each state may find its own unique policy prescriptions. These may include separation, careful monitoring and regulation of organized religion such as in France and Turkey , and others.

Secular Society 

The lack of authority of religious leaders over political decisions. Nevertheless, it has been claimed that surveys done by Pew Research show Americans as generally being more comfortable with religion playing a major role in public life, while in Europe the impact of the church on public life is declining.

Modern sociology has, since Max Weber, often been preoccupied with the problem of authority in secularized societies and with secularization as a sociological or historical process.