Secular liberalism
Encyclopedia
Secular liberalism is a form of liberalism
that involves liberating our culture
from the elements of religious conservatism
. Christian ideals are usually to be found on the opposite end of the spectrum from secular liberalism.
. Richard Dawkins
, Christopher Hitchens
and Sam Harris
have prescribed to the theories of secular liberalism and adapted them to everyday living. However, the Vatican
and the Moscow Patriarchate
are waging a common fight against secular liberalism; claiming that this idea violates the traditional Christian concepts of family and human values by exposing people to medico-biological experiments that are incompatible with their ideas of human dignity. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern over trends in some Protestant
communities towards liberalizing theology and Christian morals; he claims them to be products of secular liberalism.
Secular liberalism depends on the modernist conviction that neither religion nor tradition
nor inherited
loyalties has any binding authority
on us. It also continually labours under the misconception that everybody else is just a secular liberalist underneath. Anything that denies equal freedom is to be condemned as oppressive and marginalized, even outlawed. The so-called new atheists, such as Dawkins, call for religion to be abolished from education – or even for the teaching of religion to children to be illegal, even declared ‘child abuse
’. The same-sex marriage
debate is inescapably about liberals trying to redefine marriage as primarily an expression of personal desire. Conservatives find it hard to articulate a case for traditional marriage in terms acceptable in liberal rights discourse, as well as in the shallow rhetoric of contemporary debate.
Traditionalists are on the losing side of this argument, at least in the short run, given the cultural conditioning of the American
people in the 21st century. Defending traditional marriage requires burrowing deep into the meaning of the human
being, sex
, gender
, society
and the law
of a respective nation. Still, it is instructive to ponder the fate of modern Western societies
that have cast out the Biblical
God
as the source of moral reality. Wrote eminent historian Paul Johnson, "The history of modern times is in great part the history of how that vacuum has been filled. Elements in Islamic fundamentalism
find that secular liberalism offers hedonism
, sexual license, anomie
, demoralization and gradual depopulation; elements that are neither wanted nor desired in a true Islamic community.
However, Jeffrey Stout has wrote a book that embarks on an "alternate philosophical path" between the forces of secular liberalism and new traditionalism
. One of the things that traditionalists and liberalists have in common is the Hegelian element. Stout also states in his book that democracy
is a tradition in itself, instead of an impulse that destroys the national community. Claims that theological reasons should be excluded is not a valid reason according to Stout.
have found secular liberalism to be an intolerant ideology where prejudice is used against a community in order to win vote
s." Accoring to the Hizb ut-Tahrir
group based out of the United Kingdom, women are then secluded from society and made outcasts in society for trying to be modest
. European countries have exposed the failure of a system based on secular liberalism to accommodate the rights of religious minorities. The end result of making the traditional Muslim dress code for women into an illegal thing is forcing Muslim women to become disillusioned with secular liberalism. As a result, they become closer to more conservative forms of thinking like that found in new traditionalism.
The wearing of the hijab
in France has been a very controversial issue since 1989; when politicians with ideas of secular liberalism began to wonder whether concerns whether Muslim girls should wear the hijab in state school
s or not. Although traditional religious scriptures have taught Muslim women to cover their head, some Muslims don't believe that the veil derives from a Muslim religious imperative.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
that involves liberating our culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
from the elements of religious conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
. Christian ideals are usually to be found on the opposite end of the spectrum from secular liberalism.
General summary
People who believe in secular liberalism believe in the disestablishment of the ChurchChristian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
. Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens is an Anglo-American author and journalist whose books, essays, and journalistic career span more than four decades. He has been a columnist and literary critic at The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Slate, World Affairs, The Nation, Free Inquiry, and became a media fellow at the...
and Sam Harris
Sam Harris (author)
Sam Harris is an American author, and neuroscientist, as well as the co-founder and current CEO of Project Reason. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Stanford University, before receiving a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA...
have prescribed to the theories of secular liberalism and adapted them to everyday living. However, the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and the Moscow Patriarchate
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
are waging a common fight against secular liberalism; claiming that this idea violates the traditional Christian concepts of family and human values by exposing people to medico-biological experiments that are incompatible with their ideas of human dignity. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern over trends in some Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
communities towards liberalizing theology and Christian morals; he claims them to be products of secular liberalism.
Secular liberalism depends on the modernist conviction that neither religion nor tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
nor inherited
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
loyalties has any binding authority
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
on us. It also continually labours under the misconception that everybody else is just a secular liberalist underneath. Anything that denies equal freedom is to be condemned as oppressive and marginalized, even outlawed. The so-called new atheists, such as Dawkins, call for religion to be abolished from education – or even for the teaching of religion to children to be illegal, even declared ‘child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
’. The same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
debate is inescapably about liberals trying to redefine marriage as primarily an expression of personal desire. Conservatives find it hard to articulate a case for traditional marriage in terms acceptable in liberal rights discourse, as well as in the shallow rhetoric of contemporary debate.
Traditionalists are on the losing side of this argument, at least in the short run, given the cultural conditioning of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
people in the 21st century. Defending traditional marriage requires burrowing deep into the meaning of the human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
being, sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
of a respective nation. Still, it is instructive to ponder the fate of modern Western societies
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
that have cast out the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
as the source of moral reality. Wrote eminent historian Paul Johnson, "The history of modern times is in great part the history of how that vacuum has been filled. Elements in Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
find that secular liberalism offers hedonism
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
, sexual license, anomie
Anomie
Anomie is a term meaning "without Law" to describe a lack of social norms; "normlessness". It describes the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community ties, with fragmentation of social identity and rejection of self-regulatory values. It was popularized by French...
, demoralization and gradual depopulation; elements that are neither wanted nor desired in a true Islamic community.
However, Jeffrey Stout has wrote a book that embarks on an "alternate philosophical path" between the forces of secular liberalism and new traditionalism
New traditionalism
New traditionalism is considered to be a new phase of traditionalism that appeared in the late 20th through early 21st centuries. Its beliefs are constantly in conflict with secular liberalism...
. One of the things that traditionalists and liberalists have in common is the Hegelian element. Stout also states in his book that democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
is a tradition in itself, instead of an impulse that destroys the national community. Claims that theological reasons should be excluded is not a valid reason according to Stout.
France
In France, secular liberalism has forced Muslim women to remove their face veils while in public. This is due to a nationwide ban by the French Senate which passed on September 14, 2010. More French MuslimsIslam in France
Islam is the second most widely practiced religion in France by number of worshippers, with an estimated total of 5 to 10 percent of the national population.-Statistics:...
have found secular liberalism to be an intolerant ideology where prejudice is used against a community in order to win vote
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
s." Accoring to the Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni. pan-Islamic political organisation but keeps it open for all including shias,some of its beliefs are against sunni school of thought, whose goal is for all Muslim countries to unify as an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph...
group based out of the United Kingdom, women are then secluded from society and made outcasts in society for trying to be modest
Modesty
Standards of modesty are aspects of the culture of a country or people, at a given point in time, and is a measure against which an individual in society may be judged....
. European countries have exposed the failure of a system based on secular liberalism to accommodate the rights of religious minorities. The end result of making the traditional Muslim dress code for women into an illegal thing is forcing Muslim women to become disillusioned with secular liberalism. As a result, they become closer to more conservative forms of thinking like that found in new traditionalism.
The wearing of the hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
in France has been a very controversial issue since 1989; when politicians with ideas of secular liberalism began to wonder whether concerns whether Muslim girls should wear the hijab in state school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s or not. Although traditional religious scriptures have taught Muslim women to cover their head, some Muslims don't believe that the veil derives from a Muslim religious imperative.