A WIDE CANVAS
SECULAR-SALVATION OR CONFUSION ?
Most of the Western countries call themselves 'secular'. Yet, majority of their people at least profess some form of Christianity. In what sense are they secular, then?
RISE OF EUROPEAN SECULARISM
The term "secularism" was coined by George Jacob Holyoake in the 19th century to indicate a set of values which could be derived or practised without reference to Christian or any religious values. But it was not conceived in opposition to religious values. All that he said was that these 'secular' values could be derived from life and tested in life.
In practice, this has meant, at least in the West, that the State is separate from the Church ie the government itself does not uphold any religion as the official religion. But it is not opposed to any religion- people are free to follow the faith of their choice.
The slogan of the French Revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity may be said to embody the secular principle. Here, this is a display in a church!
The state follows its own laws- but the problem comes when a group of people following a religion say that the secular law is against their religion, and that they should be treated or tried under their own law. This has happened in Germany recently, when Muslims demanded that they should be treated under their Sharia, not the common German law! Where they want Muslim women to cover their head and face in public places!
SECULARISM AND NATIONAL IDENTITY
This problem cropped up recently in England when the Prime Minister, David Cameron, made a statement that they should be confident in saying that they are a Christian nation! Immediately, some 50 leading secular lights wrote an open letter to the press saying this was wrong. But this has not found wide support among the public. Correspondents pointed out that these 'secular liberals' might proclaim anything , but in practice they were following Christian values. As one, Toby Young wrote in The Spectator on 26 April, 2014:
By and large they are happily married, bring up their children responsibly, pay their taxes,obey the law, give back to society, don't drink to excess, don't take drugs and believe in the value of hard work.
Are these not basically Christian virtues? This is what Cameron meant when he criticised people who advocated "secular neutrality" for failing to see that religion could help "people have a moral code".
By Harry Metcalfe CC BY-SA 2.0 Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons
Americans, as usual, are hypocritial. Adam Taylor in The Washington Post argued that this statement of Cameron was wrong, though technically correct!. He said Cameron created controversy and cites the example of Tony Blair, who embraced Catholicism after leaving office of the PM and who was snubbed by one of his advisers, when asked about his religion, that " we don't do God ".
The American Declaration of Independence, 4 July,1776 famously states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
How does this truth become "self evident"? If we look around, it is very evident that people are not equal! It is because we have the idea of a Creator that this truth about the "equality" of "all men" becomes tenable. Is this not a religious, if not a spiritual, idea?
Declaration of Independence, 1869 postage stamp.
The problem of one's national identity has cropped up because of the increasing proportion of immigrants in Western Europe and the difficulty of their assimilation into the mainstream.Especially noted is the rise of Muslim identity all over the world. Even as they enjoy all civil liberties in secular societies, Muslims find it difficult to integrate with the rest of society, and insist on their own identity, which is not related to the country where they live, but to Allah and the Prophet, and to Arabic, Arabia and Mecca. Wherever they live, they turn to Mecca five times a day! This is the universal version of the 'two nation theory' that Jinnah espoused in India.
While they are hostile to followers of all non-Islamic religions, and especially to Jews and Pagans, Muslims have grave differences with Christianity on specific grounds based on the Quran.
- The Quran is the inerrant and perfect word of God. (15.9) The Bible is only true in part, where it is in agreement with Quran.
- There is only one true God. There is no Holy Trinity. (4. 171-172)
- Jesus is not God. Any one who believes that will go to hell (5.72) Jesus no more than a Messenger of Allah. (4.171)
- There is no original sin. God forgave Adam. So there is no need for a Saviour. (2.36-37)
- Jesus did not die on the Cross.Jesus was not raised from the dead. (4.157-158)
Note:
Differences in translations do exist. There are many sites on the Web which treat this subject in great detail, giving all the original references and citations. See for instance:www.discovering islam.org/islam_vs christianity/htm; www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Jesus-Muhammad.htm
It is therefore clear that Islam takes into account the doctrines of Christianity and clearly differs from them.. Both are monotheistic, both believe in expansion and conversion and both claim their word alone is the Truth. So, they are mutually exclusive and antagonistic. Christopher Caldwell writes:
Those western countries which took in Muslim immigrants and hoped that material prosperity would 'secularise' them as it happened with the Christians have found out that it did not happen so. In country after Christian country, educated people are becoming free of Christian dogma and organised religion, but Muslim populations have remained firmly Muslim.
In no country in Europe does the bulk of the population aspire to live in a bazaar of world cultures...
....it is Islam that is posing the most acute problems. For 1400 years the Islamic and Christian worlds have opposed one another, violently at times. We are living through one of those times.
Those western countries which took in Muslim immigrants and hoped that material prosperity would 'secularise' them as it happened with the Christians have found out that it did not happen so. In country after Christian country, educated people are becoming free of Christian dogma and organised religion, but Muslim populations have remained firmly Muslim.
An abandoned Church in Pennsylvania. More and more churches are getting abandoned, as church attendance falls all over the West.
Abandoned Catholic church of St.Joseph at Arnhem, Netherlands converted into a skate park. Wall Street Journal.2 January, 2015.
A Dominican Church converted into a bookstore, Holland.
Posted by Pinar, March 26,2012.www.mymodernnet.com
The problem with the Muslims is due to their refusal to submit to the common (secular) civil law. Where their numbers are small, they talk of 'human rights'; where they reach near 10%, they invoke 'minority rights'; where they swell further, they try to become the majority- this is how they have grown wherever they went. Whatever political leaders like Obama and Hollande may speak in public, majority of the people in all Western countries are uneasy with and hostile to Muslims mainly on account of their questionable assimilability. Multiculturalism clearly does not work everywhere. To quote Caldwell again:
Since its arrival half a century ago, Islam has broken.... a good many of the European customs,received ideas and state structures with which it has come in contact.....
Occasionally what needs adjustment is the essence of Europe....immigration exacts a steep price in freedom.
It is certain that Europe will emerge changed from its confrontation with Islam. It is far less certain that Islam will prove assimilable.
Extracts from : Christopher Caldwell: Reflections on the Revolution in Europe. (Chapter 1 and 12) Penguin Books, 2010.
This is essential reading for all those interested in understanding the basic issues, free from the kind of glib talk and superficial discussion that are part of the establishment culture and the popular press.
In India, Secularism has become the refuge of politicians and self-styled intellectuals who are chronic Hindu baiters or atheists.. In the name of secularism, or rationalism, science or anything, they are ever ready to attack the Hindus and criticise their practices; but not one of these worthies has so far dared to criticise Islam or Christianity.. They may pour ridicule on Hindu gods and goddesses; but they dare not even look in the direction of the Prophet or the Church. Even E.V.Ramasamy Naicker, that self-proclaimed rationalist of Tamil Nad, never uttered one word against Islam or Christianity. Such is the courage of our secular champions. For them, Secularism only means anti-Hinduism.
Political secularism in the sense of the govt treating all religions equally is an unexceptionable principle. Wikipedia article on secularism classifies the rule of the Mauryas and Guptas as secular on this principle!
The Ellora caves carved between 5th and 10th centuries.
12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 jain caves side by side- an example of living secularism before the Muslim domination in India!
By Danial Chitnis (Flickr,Ellora. The Temple. [CC By-2.0 Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons.
But how can society as a whole become secular in all respects? Should people abandon their faith? Indian society, consisting of over 80% Hindus is Hindu, de facto, ipso facto.It has always been secular. Hindus have never quarrelled with other faiths, not persecuted any one, nor sought to convert others.They have always welcomed people of all faiths and given them place in their land and honoured them. Many Hindus openly venerate holy men of all faiths.
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Buddhist Monks in Sera Monastery. Tibetan Buddhists were given refuge in India and allowed to practise their religion freely, when their country was invaded by China,
Govts can be secular in the sense of treating all religions equally or being equidistant from all, not having a state religion. But people will and do follow their religion, just as there are those who follow no religion. A country has to be judged religious, based on the belief of the majority. While American govt is secular, by virtue of the First Amendment ,over 70% of Americans say that they follow some form of Christianity. How can this fact be ignored?
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