Secular Has Become a Bad Word
by The word "secular" is used nowadays in a way that was never intended. It once meant a neutral disbelief in organized religion. It’s what the U.S. was founded on. It was a word to be proud of and meant our country wasn’t founded on any religion. We were free from religious tyranny and anyone who would force any religion based rules upon us. When the word is bandied about now by O’Reilly, Ann Coulter and the conservative Christian Coalition it means something completely different.
Secular has Become A Bad Word
In the 50s secularism had a whole different meaning. We were taught that ours was a “secular” government. Which meant that we lived in a secular government free of any religion established by the state. It made us different from people in other times and places where those speaking for God made the rules that sometimes were corrupt or unfair.
Image by Interfaith Youth Core via Flickr
Secular had nothing whatever to do with disapproving of any particular belief in God. Recently the word has taken on a life of its own. Now days, secular has come to mean in conservative Christian associations “atheist, “God hating” It conjures up all the demons Christians conservatives have fought for years, sexual permissiveness, feminist,and liberalism. These words have come to mean extreme versions of themselves.
Ann Coulter has accused “the liberals and the secularists and atheists” of using religion as a wedge. Newt Gingrich denounced “growing culture of radical secularism.” Secularism had become the enemy’s new name. Possibly this argument goes back to discoveries in science and Darwin when organized religion led a mass of European intellectuals to declare that one could lead a perfectly moral life without religion or God.
In 1986 Jerry Falwell took aim at secularism when he announced that secular humanists challenges every principle that America was founded on. The Pope also speaks out against the dangers of secularism. O’Reilly only has to say the word and his meaning is clear.
Only atheists are considered lower on the totem pole than secularists and some of them from the bad publicity they have received have chosen to hobnob with the somewhat safer label. “It’s red meat for the pundits,” says Harvard’s humanist chaplain, Greg Epstein. He prefers the word humanist. In Websters Dictionary the definition for secular is: not overly or specifically religious: not ecclesiastical or clerical. This remains its best definition.
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Post CommentCarolyn Cordon
On February 10, 2011 at 8:37 pm
Surely it is only secularism that can ever bring anything like world peace.
I’m Secularist and proud to be so!
lapasan
On February 10, 2011 at 9:01 pm
The word “secular” is used by some people to suit their ideological inclination.
Guy Hogan
On February 10, 2011 at 10:10 pm
I hope we stay a secular nation.
Edsss
On February 10, 2011 at 10:25 pm
ah. now I know!
Raj the Tora
On February 10, 2011 at 10:28 pm
great observations. It is best to be secular and let anyone practice their beliefs.
The Quail 1957
On February 10, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Interesting article!
MaxBuceo
On February 10, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Nice post, i like it
Anuradha Ramkumar
On February 11, 2011 at 12:28 am
An interesting view.
multiplenews
On February 11, 2011 at 1:12 am
Nice thoughts you conveyed here.
Likha
On February 11, 2011 at 2:29 am
I’ll stick to Webster’s and stay out of trouble.
CHIPMUNK
On February 11, 2011 at 3:03 am
good share
Stable
On February 11, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Great post, really interesting. I always used the word secular to describe the physical world around us. Like Likha, I’ll stick to the dictionary!
akalinik
On February 11, 2011 at 2:20 pm
check my revenue from Triond -> http://akalinik-articles.blogspot.com
bye.
anndavey650
On February 11, 2011 at 2:21 pm
A secular society would probably have a lot less bloodshed… and that says something.
Terrie Schultz
On February 11, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Well written and very true.
AWritingSighting
On February 11, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Do I ever remember the good old days when secular was a nice neutral way to describe one or groups who did not advance the cause of organized religion.
It’s shift in usage promulgated by people like Coulter and O’Reilly is a travesty
Ruby Hawk
On February 11, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Secular is the thing to strive for. Live and let live should be the motto of everyone.
Adrn0919
On February 12, 2011 at 1:30 am
Nicely written informative article. You did a good job with the information and supporting your theme.
Elvin Aliyev
On February 12, 2011 at 4:50 pm
I like this post.
Betty Carew
On February 13, 2011 at 10:12 am
I’m with Ruby live and let live. Great post Tulan and thought provoking to be sure.
genicuta
On March 1, 2011 at 11:31 am
Great share!!..