Haase_UZ_x007E_DTh (2).pdf - South African Theological Seminary

may simply transform the nature and place
of religion within society, resulting in ‘this
worldly’ secularized form of religion.
Secularization is often linked to
modernization, so that as societies become
increasingly modernized they also tend to
become secularized (Baker, in Moreau,
2000:865).
Secularism is the proactive marginalisation, and/or removal of the religious from
society, and has been a key component of modernity from the beginning. Secularism’s
ability to separate religion and politics has proven less effective than its ability to deal
with religious diversity, especially under conditions of unequal power. In the idealistic,
truly homogenous society, the coercive powers of the state are equitably applied. In the
real world, so to speak, there are competing interests for the favours of the state. Those
with the most power and/or money are often the ones who control the direction society
and government take. This is no less true where religious interests are concerned. At
times, the [secular] state is able to stay distanced and objective enough so as not to be the
instrument of the majority religion. At other times, the state becomes the puppet of the
majority religion -- many examples could be cited regarding this. In many so-called
secular nations, religionists have learned how to be persuasive and effective in the
political arena, and religious groups often do control great wealth and power, which
enables them to be a political force.
The Secularization Thesis, which asserted that secularism would eventually replace
religion around the globe, has probably affected Europe more than any other region on
earth, but has nowhere worked as predicted. Turkey under its first President, Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938), became one of the most secular Muslim states ever, but is
still a nation very strongly attached to Islam. Societies are still driven by what
[pragmatically] makes sense to them, and by what seems to be in their own best interest.
The [modernist] secularization process did not remove religion, but has had an effect
upon it. In fact, the threat of secularization has in more than a few instances worked
against secularization, causing instead the resurgence of traditional religious beliefs, and
driving nationalism and the predominant religion closer together.
Secular humanism in all its variations -- though not science per se -- is antithetical to
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University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa