What is secularism?

Today Understanding Humanism launched a new animation to support young people’s understanding of secularism. Secularism is a widely misunderstood concept but its principles are supported by humanists and many religious people. A better understanding of secularism, the motivations behind it, and the grounds on which it is argued should enable young people to reflect on and discuss how we might best organise society when it comes to matters of religion or belief.

Living in a pluralistic society

The UK today is a pluralistic society. That means one in which there live people with different cultures and traditions with a range of worldviews. The religion and belief landscape in the UK, like many countries in the West, is more complex and diverse than ever before.

In the 2021 census of England and Wales

• 46% of people described themselves as Christian
• 37% as having no religion
• 6.5% as Muslim
• 1.7% as Hindu
• With a wide variety of other religions and beliefs making up the rest

Diversity of belief gives rise to potential risks and challenges: possible prejudice and discrimination; uninformed misconceptions about those who are different; disagreement over values and goals; a breakdown in social cohesion; and even conflict between people with different worldviews.

Secularism offers a partial solution to those problems, arguing for a system in which the human rights to freedom of thought and expression are guaranteed, where there is no religious privilege, and where everyone is treated equally regardless of religion or belief.

What is secularism?

People sometimes get atheism, humanism, and secularism mixed up but they do not mean the same thing. Sometimes the word ‘secular’ is used to mean something similar to ‘not religious’ (non-religious people and worldviews are still sometimes described as ‘secular’) but more often it means ‘unconnected with religion or belief’ (for example the Natural History Museum and the charity Oxfam are secular in this sense). Someone might say a society is becoming more secular, meaning it is becoming less religious or that the state is becoming less connected to one particular religion or worldview – this is sometimes called ‘secularisation’.

The word ‘secularism’, when it was first coined in the nineteenth century by the newspaper editor George Jacob Holyoake, was used to describe a worldly, non-religious worldview (one similar to humanism). However, the word ‘secularism’ today does not describe a worldview. It is predominantly used to describe a political position on how society should be organised in relation to religion and belief, and on the responsibilities of the state on such matters. Someone who supports secularism is a ‘secularist’.

Secularists believe the following:

1. There should be a separation between religious institutions and state institutions: no single religious or non-religious institution should say how the country should be run or have any special influence over the law; nor should the government seek to influence citizens’ religion or belief, say how they must live their private lives, or impose a state-sanctioned conception of the good life.
2. Individuals should have freedom of religion or belief, and be free to reject or change their beliefs, within the limits of public order and the rights of others.
3. There should be equal treatment and no privilege or discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.

A secular state defends the rights of individuals to express religious commitments, but it also protects their right both to reject any religious commitment and indeed to express views critical of religion or belief. Secularists believe people should be free to practice their religion or belief, so long as they are not causing harm to others, or acting in ways that infringe the rights and freedoms of others. Secularism does not mean denying the role religion has played in a country’s history and culture. Religious art, music, architecture, stories, and influence can still be celebrated.

Secularism is, however, only a partial solution. To function effectively, education and dialogue are also needed. In a pluralistic society people need to learn at least enough about each other’s beliefs and practices to understand each other. Where young people from different backgrounds have the opportunity to grow up alongside each other, they are more likely to connect and form bonds than if they are kept separated. If freedom of religion or belief is truly to be realised, that also requires the opportunity to learn about the diversity of belief so that one is able to make up one’s own mind what one believes.

This applies just as much to adults as it does to young people. Opportunities to talk to people with alternative worldviews can support connections and empathy. Common ground and shared interests can often be found that can bring people and communities together. While education and dialogue can often help, they are not guaranteed to. In the case of extreme differences of worldview, knowing more does not necessarily mean feeling closer. However, in many cases we can discover we have much in common.

The case for secularism

Three arguments are commonly put forward to defend secularism. These are arguments which can be accepted by many religious and non-religious people. Each argument on its own may not convince everyone but, together, secularists believe they provide a powerful case. They are the argument for freedom, the argument for fairness, and the argument for peace:

1. The argument for freedom

• Secularism is supported on human rights grounds, particularly through respect for freedom of thought, expression, and choice over how we live our lives. We each want to be free to believe what we want and live our lives in accordance with our beliefs.
• Many people also want others to have the freedom to form their own beliefs – people often value personal autonomy.
• Diversity, rather than uniformity, of thought can also be valuable to society as it allows different perspectives to be explored.

2. The argument for fairness

• We all want to be treated fairly and it is unfair to give special treatment to people from one religion or belief, or for one worldview to have any privileged powers over the state’s decision making. Everyone wants equal opportunities. No one wants to feel oppressed or excluded.

3. The argument for peace (the pragmatic argument)

• When states allow one worldview to dominate, it can lead to persecution and conflict. A secular state tries to act in the interests of all groups. Secularism can therefore be an effective way to avoid conflict between people from different groups. Everyone is treated equally and so should not feel the need to turn to anger or violence. Secularism does not guarantee peace, but it supports it.
• Freedom of belief can also contribute to an individual’s inner peace, happiness, and wellbeing.

Are there any secular states?

When states are not secular, they privilege one religion or belief above the others. The UK is not a secular state. It has an established church: the Church of England. The King is its head, and bishops sit by right in the UK Parliament. Many humanists and other secularists campaign for the removal of these privileges. This is called disestablishment.

Today just 10% of the UK population identify themselves as Church of England and only 1% of those under 25 years old (British Social Attitudes Survey). Secularists believe these facts strengthen the case for disestablishment.

There are many other countries around the world that are not secular:

• Denmark has a Protestant state church.
• The constitution of Myanmar grants special preferences towards Buddhism
• Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia.
• In Greece the Greek Orthodox Church is constitutionally recognized as the ‘prevailing religion’ of the country.
• Israel is defined in several of its laws as a ‘Jewish state’ (however, there is debate about whether ‘Jewish’ refers to an ethnic or religious group).
• China has a policy of official state Marxist-atheism – citizens are only allowed to practice particular state sanctioned religions, and members of the ruling party are strongly discouraged from holding religious faith.
• Catholicism is the state religion in Costa Rica.
• Iran’s constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Shia Islam as the official state religion.

Some countries can have a state religion and be very secular in how they operate (Denmark, for example), and some still allow citizens freedom of religion or belief. However, in many non-secular countries, life can be very difficult for anyone who does not share the state religion. One can find persecution of minorities and those speaking up for freedoms, as well as violence (and corresponding reactionary protest), such as has been witnessed in Iran, Myanmar, Israel, Sudan, and China. In some countries, being non-religious can be a criminal offence (in 12 countries around the world blasphemy or apostasy are punishable by death).

Many states are constitutionally secular, such as the USA, France, India, and Turkey. However, countries can be secular in name and not in practice if freedom and equal treatment are not respected, and secularism is under threat in many places around the world today. Many secularists believe the French form of secularism, laïcité, goes too far as people’s religious liberties in public are restricted. There have also been rising tensions in states that are, on paper, secular, but have governments that have rejected secular principles and turned towards religious nationalism, for example in India and the USA.

What might secularists campaign for?

Secularists may differ on how actively they campaign for particular issues, but in the UK, secularists might campaign on the following:

• The disestablishment of the established state church (the Church of England)
• The removal of the automatic right of 26 Church of England bishops to sit in the UK Parliament in the House of Lords
• An end to state funding of religious schools that are free to discriminate in their admissions, employment, and curriculum
• The need for an education about religion and worldviews in schools that is objective, critical, and pluralistic
• The replacement of daily acts of worship with inclusive assemblies
• The end to state funding for special transport services for parents who want to send their children to religious schools (particularly because the same service is not available to the non-religious)
• The end to state funding for religious groups to provide public services, when those groups are free to discriminate on the basis of religion or belief and sexual orientation whilst doing so
• Legal recognition of humanist marriages so that they hold an equal status to religious marriages in England and Wales (they are already legal in Scotland and Northern Ireland)
• Equal access to non-religious pastoral support in hospitals, prisons, and the armed forces
• For national ceremonies such as remembrance ceremonies to be inclusive of all faiths and none
• More equal treatment of religious and non-religious perspectives in public broadcasting (e.g. including humanist voices on Thought for the Day)

In other countries, secularists may be campaigning simply for the rights of non-religious people or those from minority religions to be open about their beliefs. In many countries not sharing the religion of the state is a crime and there are 12 countries in which blasphemy or apostasy is punishable by death.

Is secularism better for everyone?

Secularists argue that by supporting individual freedoms, fairness and equality, and a more peaceful community, secularism benefits everyone. It is particularly important for guaranteeing the freedom and fair treatment of those from minority religions and the non-religious. Of course, not everyone is in favour and there are various objections to secularism: some based on priorities that are believed to be more important than freedom and equality; others on how secularism works in practice. Several of these are set out in our resources to accompany the video and should provide a stimulus to discussion around the value of secularism in a pluralistic society.

Resources

All our resources on secularism can be found here. You’ll find student handouts, further videos, activities, teachers notes, and links to external resources.

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