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Secularism - Coggle Diagram
Secularism
Freud
Oedipus complex: in the presence of trauma in childhood, there occurs an "infantile neurosis" whereby a subconscious desire for a perfect parent is embedded and idolised to a God-like level
! Freud argues that religion is an obsessional, infantile illusion that is disabling and cuts a person off from the real world. However, for many it is enabling and helps form communities with shared values and a sense of purpose
"It’s doctrines carry with it the stamp of the times in which they originated, the ignorant childhood days of the human race" - Moses and Monotheism
suggested that if there were an 11th commandment, it would be “thou shalt not question”
Dawkins
"Even without physical abduction, isn't it always a form of child abuse to label children as possessors of beliefs that they are too young to have thought about?" - The God Delusion Chapter 6
Dawkins argues that psychological trauma is worse than physical abuse, uses example of Hell House
"There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning"
"The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it."
! Often makes use of emotional marketing to make his points, painting all of Christianity with one brush
God of the gaps: knowledge that was previously attributed to God - eg rainbows, volcanic eruptions, weather patterns - are gradually being explained by science, progressively filling in the gaps where the God explanation had existed
Humanism
trusts the scientific method in understanding how the universe works, rejecting the supernatural
makes ethical decisions based on reason, empathy, and concern for other human beings
humans can act to give their own lives meaning through seeking happiness and helping others to do the same
aims for a secular state guaranteeing human rights, eg by campaigning against faith schools/disestablishment and removing bishops from the House of Lords/banning conversion therapy/supporting attempts to legalise assisted dying/pro-choice
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Procedural secularism: the role of the state should be to take into account the interests of all its citizens and their institutions
Programmatic secularism: the role of the state should be purely secular, excluding all religious views
Church attendance has declined from 6,484,300 to 3,081,500