Secularization: types, advantages and disadvantages

Hussein Ali^*
*Correspondence: Hussein Ali, Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago,Illinois, United States, Email:

Received: 07-Dec-2021 Published: 28-Dec-2021

Description

Secularization refers to the historical process in which religion loses social and artistic significance. As a result of secularization the part of religion in modernistic societies becomes restricted. In secularized societies faith lacks cultural authority, religious associations have little social power, and public life proceeds without reference to the supernatural. Secularization captures a long-term societal change, but it has consequences for religion itself. In Western countries, where it has been most pronounced, it has made the connection to their Christian heritage more tenuous. Yet secularization is important beyond the formerly Christian west, given that numerous of the forces that first sustained it there affect other societies as we ll.

Secularization theories explain the process as a conjunction of cultural conditions, structural changes, and specific historical events. Secularization has become a growing content as additional countries modernize and shift away from religious values toward secular ones.

While numerous countries remain that are focused on religion and religious law, there’s multiplying pressure from around the globe, especially from the United States and its allies, for countries to secularize. Nonetheless, some regions have actually become more religious, including parts of Africa and Asia.

The most important aspect of secularism is its separation of religion from State power. This is important for a country to serve democratically.

Secularists oppose religion or the religious being afforded privileges, which put another way-means others are disadvantaged. They think that religious academies are divisive, and damage the prospects of a harmonious and diverse society. Secularists aren’t against the right of individualities to have a religious faith. Features of Secularism in India are

• Equal respect to all religions or protecting all religions equally

• Indian secularism focuses on harmony among all religions rather than the tight separation between state and religion

• All persons are inversely entitled to freedom of heart and the right to profess, exercise and propagate any religion freely

• There’s no authorized religion in India

• A right to practice propagate and profess any religion

Types

Political secularism: Political secularism has three essential principles politics, religion, and their separation. Accordingly, different conceptions of secularism will give different and rival versions of the core concept, political secularism, depending on how they define politics, religion, and separation. Political secularism must also satisfy important normative principles. The most important of these are freedom of conscience and the principle of state neutrality.

Philosophical secularism: As a philosophy, secularism seeks to interpret life based on principles derived solely from the material world, without recourse to religion. It shifts the focus from religion towards” temporal “and material concerns.

Socio-cultural secularism: Secularization is a cultural transition in which religious values are gradually replaced with nonreligious values. In the process, religious figureheads similar as church leaders lose their authority and influence over society.

Advantages

Secularism also has numerous practical advantages. The happiest countries are secular liberal democracies, including Scandinavian countries and northern European states. In general, secular countries have lower rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen gestation and abortion.

Disadvantages

• It corrupts the people minds. We shouldn’t believe on some spirit to save us, we should act on the effects we want to achieve.

• It promotes division and confusion. Too many religions, too much contradiction, cause too many killings.

• Not everyone believes that some spirit exists.