Secularism

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"The secular state is the guarantee of religious pluralism. This apparent paradox, again, is the simplest and most elegant of political truths."

Christopher Hitchens

Secularism believes in separating the church from the state or the state from the church it has become dominant throughout the world with only a handful of exceptions over the last century. Secularism started from opposition to how powerful Catholic Theocracy was in many European countries, as it operated a European-wide welfare system while also serving, in a sense, the highest court in Europe that all kings and dukes would adhere to. It was because of the power of the clergy that led to extreme levels of corruption in the church and within kingdoms which caused the Protestant Reformation This was the first major Anti-Clerical movement since the establishment of a Christian Theocracy throughout the continent. Although Protestants were still intense Christians and believed in strict adherence to the bible their push against clerical power and influence allowed for stronger forms of secularism to rise in popularity.

History

United States of America

The American Model was the first in the world to endorse a full separation between the church and state, although this was never mentioned in the constitution, however this was to protect churches from being limited or restricted by the state rather than rid religious influence from the state. It began, however, within the Colonial era of America where, in 1636, Roger Williams established a settlement in Rhode Island. This settlement permitted total religious freedom. This, along with the later Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, would go on to heavily influence the founding fathers of the United States.

As a result, the founding fathers would later enshrine within the First Amendment of the constitution the foundations of American Secularism with what is known as the Establishment Clause. This clause states as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

This established the primary purpose of American Secularism, which was not the total exclusion of religion from government (like in French secularism) but rather the inclusion of all religions in the government. This is made in order to ensure that no one religion is discriminated against and no religion is given too much power.

France

France would be the next country to adopt a secular model under Jacobinism however this differed from the American version of protecting the church from the state instead of prohibiting it entirely to remove Catholicism from the French culture entirely although their secularism was undermined by the government's support for the cult of Reason. Secularism or Theocracy would be a constant battle in France from the fall of the Empire in 1815 until the passage of "Laïcité" in 1905. Laïcité originally represented the victory of anti-clerical republicanism, which, ever since the French Revolution of 1789, had stigmatised the Roman Catholic Church as a bastion of reaction, ignorance and superstition. In concrete terms, the 1905 law dramatically limited the power of the Church by enshrining three key principles: strict separation of Church and State, freedom of conscience and freedom to exercise any faith.

In contemporary France, however, the conflict with the Roman Catholic Church is long dead, with the result that secularism has come to stand for something else: managing ethnic differences in a society that is opposed to the community-based approach advocated in the English-speaking world. According to this modern schema, secularism is about avoiding Anglo-Saxon-style ghettos; coming together as citizens; and transcending narrow religious differences.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom also implemented a secularism model, although one could argue that the UK is still Anglican Theocracy due to Anglican bishops having guaranteed votes on every bill in the House of Lords, however, their power has been significantly limited and their have been protections especially for Atheists, with the passage of the New Oaths Act (1886), and Catholics, with Catholic Emancipation in 1828.

Beliefs

Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civic affairs and the state and may be broadened to a similar position seeking to remove or to minimize the role of religion in any public sphere. The term "secularism" has a broad range of meanings, and in the most schematic, may encapsulate any stance that promotes the secular in any given context. Secularism is opposed to both state atheism and theocratic rule, since it regards people's rights to practice their religious beliefs freely, both of these governmental systems are opposed to secularism since they try to force beliefs onto people.

Variants

Anti-Clericalism

Anti-Clericalism is a form of secularism that shows opposition to religious authority in social and political matters. This differs from normal secularism in the sense that Anti-Clericalism regards religious authority as harmful and something that should be opposed while Secularism takes a neutral stance on religion. Anti-Clericalism has been practised commonly under state atheist countries but also has been practised under Anarchists who have been historically hostile to religious authority because they see it as another source of oppression like the state. Although not everyone who is anti-clerical is anti-religious, anti-clericalism has its roots in religious people protesting against religious authority like under the protestant reformation, but also under the French Revolution where the clerics were murdered. So, the reasons why and who is opposing religious authority are different for each context.

Cultural Secularism

Cultural Secularism, also called Cultural Lacisim, is used to denote a society which has undergone secularization and its institutions shift from religious principles to secular principles. It could also mean someone who supports the secularization of society and opposes organized religion for one reason or another. It could also be used to refer to the secular movement, which is a movement that promotes culturally liberal values such as LGBT rights and abortion due to the religious right's opposition towards such.

Regional Tendencies

Laicism

Laicism, also called Laïcité, is a stance regarding institutional religion which believes that religion and society shouldn't mix and faith should be left as a purely personal matter. Although laicism is commonly used interchangeably with secularism, it differs from the Anglo-American interpretation of secularism in the regard that the latter does not seek to make religion a purely personal matter just one which is free from the state. It´s the French variant of Secularism.

Positive Secularism

Main article: Hindutva

WIP

Personality and Behavior

Secularism is an objective thinking ideology that likes to use the head rather than the heart. He gets along with atheists and ideologies that advocate for freedom of religion. He hates theocracies, superstitions, and religious extremists.

How to Draw

Flag of Secularism

1. Draw a ball
2. Fill it with white
3. Draw a blue atom in the center
4. Add the eyes

...and you're done!

Color Name		HEX	RGB
	White	#FFFFFF	rgb(255, 255, 255)
	Cobalt Blue	#0037FF	rgb(0, 55, 255)

Relationships

Friends

• Enlightenment Thought - The beginning of the end for many theocracies worldwide.
• Civil Libertarianism - We support self-expression and allow people to believe in whatever they want.
• Kemalism - Great job turning Turkey into a secular state. Too bad that those Neo-Ottomanist buttholes ruined it.
• El-Sisism, Nasserism & Mubarakism - I like that you kept Egypt a secular state.
• French Left-Conservatism, Goldwaterianism & Humeanism - Best conservatives ever.
• Religious Rejectionism - You're a devout person, but you keep to yourself.
• Ba'athism - He wants to make MENA secular.
• Fatahism & Fayyadism - Better alternative than Hamas.
• Secular Satanism - A bit edgy, but secular like me.
• American Model - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Please remove 'In God we Trust' as your official motto though.
• Jeffersonian Democracy & Jacksonian Democracy - Good job on keeping America secular.
• Fiscal Conservatism - Stop wasting money on religious services!
• Objectivism - I can't agree with you on religion being superstitious nonsense you know? But you believe people have a right to believe or not, and that's based!
• Jacobinism - Props for removing the clergy's special privileges and laying the groundwork for Laïcité.
• Balboism - Based Fascist.
• Zionism - Thank you for founding Israel as a secular nation. I hate some of your variants though.

Frenemies

• Confessionalism - Well, as long as you don't try to interfere with your citizen's personal beliefs then I guess I can tolerate you. Though I definitely won't deny that Lebanon's system is just plain stupid and doesn't work at all.
• State Atheism - Don't you think that's going too far with opposition to religious authority? Though, my more radical variant is ok with you.
• Cultural Christianity - You're my "Christian" equivalent.
• Presbyterian Theocracy - The Church and State are separate, but both institutions are vehemently Christian. That's the historic Presbyterian view.
• Theodemocracy - Believes the U.S. Constitution is a divine document, isn't aware of the First Amendment.
• Gaddafism - I have no problems with you being a devout Muslim as long as you keep the state secular.
• Turkish Idealism - Many of you believe in "Reformed Secularism"? Based!- wait, you lean towards Islamism? And you're usually anti-Christian? And you're also insane Terrorists?!?! I'll only barely let you off the hook.
• Nazism - The holocaust was horrible, but you at least didn't embrace a theocracy and admired some other religions besides your own. Still, I and most of my followers for that matter want nothing to do with you.

Religious Fanatics

• Theocracy - Let people have their disbeliefs!
• Neo-Ottomanism - Ataturk is better than you, filthy theocrat!
• Al-Jolanism and Morsism - The above puppets! At least the latter got overthrown and died before he could do anything.
• Francoism, Salazarism & Integralism - Now Spain and Portugal are more open, thank goodness.
• Clerical Fascism - AAAAARGHHHH! This is the worst ideology!!! Why do you even exist?!?!
• Crusadism & Jihadism - You gone too far in fighting for your religion, you twist the message of thy faith and force countless innocents to convert or die. You bunch are total nutjobs and give a bad reputation to your respective religions. The centuries of endless terror and fanaticism in the name of thy faith is why we need freedom of religion.
• Khomeinism - The protests should bring about your downfall.
• Juche - Hostile to religion and tries to larp as a god. The fact you try to brand yourself as a state atheist is just a ONE BIG, LOL, for me.
• Hindutva - STOP CALLING ME "SICKULAR" YOU THEOCRAT MANIAC! And what's that "Positive Secularism" thingy...?
• Cultism - I support freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Critical thinking and freedom of thought are both good things. GET THAT INTO YOUR HEAD!
• Pol Potism - I didn't mean THAT when I talk about establishing a society/government free of religious influence...
• Reaganism - Screw you for mobilizing Christianity as a predominant voter block!

Quotes

"We make no discrimination against the adherent of any religion. All faiths are entitled to equal protection and equal respect. This we have named "Secularism", which entitles each Indian to pursue his own belief and learn more about his own creed. But it also requires him to extend the same right to persons of other religions"

Indira Ghandi

"We have laid down in our constitution that India is a secular state. That does not mean irreligion. it means equal respect for all faiths and equal opportunities for those who profess any faith."

Jawaharlal Nehru

"There was such a tag which was in fashion wearing which all sins would get washed. That fake tag was called secularism. Slogans would be raised for the unity of secular people. But you would have witnessed that from 2014 - 2019 that whole bunch stopped speaking. In this election not even a single political party could dare to mislead the country by wearing the mask of secularism."

Narendra Modi

Gallery

Portraits

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Alternative designs

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  Laicism
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  Flag of Anti-Clericalism
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  Flag of Laicism

Literature

LaVeyan Satanism

• The Satanic Bible
• The Satanic Rituals
• The Satanic Witch
• The Devil's Notebook
• Satan Speaks!

Further Infomation

• Secularism
• Anti-clericalism
• Laicism