Reasons for a Religion-Free Society

National Catholic Register ^ | Dec 2, 2008 | BY Father Alfonso Aguilar, LC

[GonzoII]

By exploring history (explore it with me by clicking on this story at NCRegister.com, where a longer version appears), I came to the conclusion that secularism is fed by at least eight ideas and five motives....

[GonzoII]

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Commentary

Reasons for a Religion-Free Society

BY Father Alfonso Aguilar, LC

December 7-13, 2008 Issue | Posted 12/2/08 at 10:43 AM

And how come in a democratic and Christian United States, Nativity scenes and public prayers are banned? How come seventh grader Amber Mangum was forbidden to read a Bible in the school cafeteria during her lunch period at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Prince George’s County, Md.? How come British Airways worker Nadia Eweida was fired for wearing a cross?

What led people into such “Christianophobia” and “religion-phobia”?

By exploring history (explore it with me by clicking on this story at NCRegister.com, where a longer version appears), I came to the conclusion that secularism is fed by at least eight ideas and five motives. Ideas are philosophical thoughts of the mind. By motives, I mean selfish or unselfish desires and interests that appeal to the will.

Ideas explain the “whys” and motives the “what fors” of secularism.

Naturally, not all secularists are led by all these ideas and motives. Each one may be motivated by three, four or five of them. I think the following list will help us understand secularists’ mindset and objectives.

1.

Radical immanentism. The question about God’s existence is trivial. The only important or existing reality is mankind and the universe. People should live “etsi Deus non daretur” (as if God didn’t exist).

2. Man is divine. If God is nonexistent or irrelevant, “man is for man the supreme being,” as Karl Marx put it.

3. Rationalism. Supernatural faith is false or useless. Human reason is the only source of knowledge and criterion for the truth.

4. The absolutization of liberty. Freedom is understood, in the first place, as liberation from God, religious tradition, the dictates of faith and ecclesiastical authority. Man has the right to independently establish his own criteria about how to live and how to run society.

5. Religion is negative or insignificant, either because it has been and continues to be the source of the greatest evils for mankind or because it is a mere sentimental and irrelevant social factor. Religion, therefore, should die out or occupy a marginal and private role in society.

6. The absolutization of the state. Since transcendence does not provide for the foundations of our civilization, the state becomes the source of all values and human rights. Consequently, the separation between the church and state must be absolute, meaning that the former must submit to the dictates of political power.

7. Scientism. As the only source of knowledge and progress, science and technology have the priority over all ethical and religious considerations.

8. Consumerism. Personal and collective well-being exclusively lies on material goods and social success.

Based on these philosophical reasons, a number of desires and interests can be identified.

First motive: World peace. In a pluralistic and multireligious society, peace among peoples can only be achieved by the annihilation of dogmatic and divisive religion.

Second motive: Social and political autonomy. By getting rid of ecclesiastical authority and religious ethics, our civilization can run its own business in the most efficient and flexible way.

Third motive: Freedom of thought. Independence from obsolete traditions and ideas is the necessary path toward human maturity — the capacity to think for oneself.

Fourth motive: Building a political utopia. Without religion, mankind can establish a better or a perfect civilization — a novus ordo seclorum (a new world order), as it says on the U.S. dollar bill.

Fifth motive: Enjoying earthly life. It seems that religion, especially Christianity, with its insistence on the afterlife and right ethical human behavior, hinders us from enjoying worldly goods.

An excellent summary of these ideas and motives can be found in the lyrics of John Lennon’s famous song “Imagine.” As you read these words, try to identify secularist reasons and goals.

“Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. … Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for; and no religion, too. Imagine all the people; living for today. … Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger; a brotherhood of man. … [J]oin us, and the world will be as one.”

Is it true that a religion-free society with people exclusively living for today will create a brotherhood of man and the world will be as one?

Next, we will take a look into what the Holy Father thinks about secularism. We will also spot its flaws and find arguments and strategies to overcome it.

The secularist project is rooted in some interesting ideas and motives that we must direct in order to build an authentic civilization of justice and love.

Legionary Father Alfonso Aguilar teaches philosophy

at Rome’s Regina

Apostolorum College.

Copyright © 2007 Circle Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

[autumnraine]

It’s not a “religion free” society, it’s a “Christian free” society.

If you are muslim, you are provided prayer rooms and breaks to go pray.

[jalisco555]

I always thought that “seperation of church and state” was more about protecting church from state than the other way around.

[Jeff Head]

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other." John Adams

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS ON NUMEROUS ISSUES

[wgflyer]

Any “ism” followed beyond rational bounds is merely a substitute for the empty hole in the soul caused by lack of religion.

I might possibly call conservatism such a substitute, for me, but I haven’t yet found anything irrational about it.

[allmendream]

James Madison:

The civil Government, though bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success, whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people, have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the State (Letter to Robert Walsh, Mar. 2, 1819).

Every new and successful example, therefore, of a perfect separation between the ecclesiastical and civil matters, is of importance; and I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in showing that religion and Government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together (Letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822).

[SumProVita]

Separation of Church and state was meant to protect BOTH the Church and the state and was NEVER meant to exclude religion from the public square.

[thefrankbaum]

a novus ordo seclorum (a new world order),

Father, I'm sorry, you need to work on your Latin. Especially if you think that stands for "New World Order." "World" is Mundus or Orbis. "Seclorum" is the genitive, meaning "of the Ages.

[jalisco555]

Separation of Church and state was meant to protect BOTH the Church and the state and was NEVER meant to exclude religion from the public square.

Perhaps, but I think that Church gets the greater benefit. State will inevitably try to control Church if you mingle the two very much. I'm not against things like creches in front of city hall or benedictions at public school graduations, things like that, but much more than that and you threaten the autonomy of Church. State always wins these battles.

[SumProVita]

Actually, people need to review the history of religion as foundational in this country and look at how MUCH religion played an important role among the Founding Fathers. And, YES, I am speaking of Christianity... which provided the principles to inspire authentic freedom.

[Mr. Blonde]

The absolutization of the state. Since transcendence does not provide for the foundations of our civilization, the state becomes the source of all values and human rights. Consequently, the separation between the church and state must be absolute, meaning that the former must submit to the dictates of political power.

Or as Bob Dylan says, "You gotta serve somebody." If the secularists are successful in replacing God with the State then they can do whatever they want and take as much power as they want. Those pesky Christians who stand in their way by serving a higher power must be eliminated.

[hoagy62]

Although it’s likely a foregone conclusion, an atheist or secularist’s true beef isn’t with any religion save one: Christianity.

With Christianity, it appears to them that “you can’t have any fun”. You know, fun things like homosexuality, bestiality, incest, adultery, and any number of “fun” things that you won’t have any need to answer for ‘if there is no God’. Humans like to delude themselves into thinking that THEY are the highest achievement of all creation. They can’t stand the thought that there is anything higher than themselves...or the thought that there just MIGHT be consequences to their behavior.

In truth, it all boils down to what Jesus Himself told His disciples, something He wanted them to pass on to all who would believe down through the years: “They hated Me, and they’re going to hate you. But don’t worry...I am still in charge, My Father owns the place, and no matter what, WE win. And if you’re on Our side, you do too.” (paraphrase mine).

[jalisco555]

I'm speaking of today. Look at the move to require Catholic hospitals to perform abortions and provide contraception. These hospitals receive public funds. The more we mingle Church and State today the more we will see this sort of thing.

I apologize that I won't be able to follow this thread for the next several hours. It's an interesting discussion. Later perhaps.

[NeoConfederate]

Sounds like this cat doesn’t want Obama to practice his Muslim faith. Uh, I mean Christian faith...

[GonzoII]

I have never understood how the state can be totally separate from the Church in this sense:

The state is made up of men, men have to be saved, therefore they have to have a certain contact with the Church, i.e. instruction in Christian truths etc.

Let's take this example: If I, as a youth, learn about the need for one to pray from the Church, and later I become a Senator, I may propose to my colleagues that we pray before convening business, yeah, even government business, a need is a need.

The need for prayer concerns everyone, those in government as well.

Did that come out right?

[SumProVita]

Yes, it is interesting. I would remind you that Thomas Jefferson once basically said that good government should never force people to do that which they consider to be gravely immoral. Catholic hospitals have wonderfully served a huge percentage of our population and to threaten them with a loss of financial support because they will NOT agree to the wanton slaughter of innocent children is immoral.....and extremely counterproductive to a healthy society.

[HangnJudge]

BTTT

[GonzoII]

“My Father owns the place”

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Is that in the Greek or Aramaic? LOL.

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Yeah, the Christian demands on our fallen nature are a hard pill to swallow.

[Jeff Head]

In fact the House and Senate have prayers to open each session to this day.

[thesearethetimes...]

hoagy62 posted - “Although it’s likely a foregone conclusion, an atheist or secularist’s true beef isn’t with any religion save one: Christianity.”

In the words of Yoda, “There is another.”. Christianity is attacked in part, because of the determination of it’s followers, to “turn the other cheek”. The Muslim faith is just as restrictive on the “fun stuff”, if not more so, but is altogether less forgiving...

Hoo boy, wait until the left gets the memo on that one : \