(April 8, 2014 at 8:39 am)Napoléon Wrote: Society in general has started to make a trend towards being more secular and less and less people are identifying as religious. Well, maybe not so much in 'Murica but most of Europe and the rest of the first world is going down the secular route.
How are you defining secularism? This is the About Us page of the National Secular Society which is a UK organisation.
What Is Secularism?
Quote:Religious Freedom
Secularism seeks to defend the absolute freedom of religious and other belief, and protect the right to manifest religious belief insofar as it does not impinge disproportionately on the rights and freedoms of others. Secularism ensures that the right of individuals to freedom of religion is always balanced by the right to be free from religion.
and
Quote:Secularism is not atheism
Atheism is a lack of belief in gods. Secularism simply provides a framework for a democratic society. Atheists have an obvious interest in supporting secularism, but secularism itself does not seek to challenge the tenets of any particular religion or belief, neither does it seek to impose atheism on anyone.
Secularism is simply a framework for ensuring equality throughout society – in politics, education, the law and elsewhere, for believers and non-believers alike.
People can still be religious while living in a secular society.
(April 8, 2014 at 8:39 am)Napoléon Wrote: I don't see religions or cults dying any time soon but I do think there'll come a time in the future where people are educated well enough to understand that religions for the most part are completely pointless.
How well educated? There are a lot of religious scientists around and not just in the US. For example, all but one of the Vatican Observatory staff are Jesuits and the one who isn't a Jesuit is still a Roman Catholic priest.
Vatican Observatory Personnel
Where are the snake and mushroom smilies?
