Secularism referred to the principle of the separation of state and religious institutions. Secularism meant that people from different religions and belief systems were treated equally by their states and that religion got reduced significance socially as well as individually. In Europe, the idea of secularism arose when religion was thought to be a limitation to the process of modernization, and so it had to be separated from state affairs (Possamai, 2019). The secularization of Europe meant that a large percentage of the populace stopped regularly participating in some of the traditional religious practices. However, most of these people continued to identify with their religions, meaning that religion had become more individualized and less communal. Religion in Europe became more private and its presence in the public sphere was greatly reduced, as was its ‘threat’ to the modern social system. The secularization of Europe was also evident in the judicial rulings of the state, which showed the separation between religious and state institutions in most of the states.
Despite the projections by the secularization theorists, the rise of modernization did not diminish the role of religion. On the contrary, alternative ways of organizing religion in society have been used and religion is still adopted by modernized people. This challenged the secularization theory and it has led to the coining of the ‘post-secularization’, which refers to the coexistence of secularism and religion (Possamai, 2019). Europe has been the exception of the post-secularization process as the religion remains personal and the number of believers attendance is still deteriorating. This does not mean that religion is not relevant in Europe since religious bodies are present in secularized societies. Religious bodies are influencing public opinions and contribute to key issues, especially those that have morality as a factor, like abortion. The post secularization of Europe saw that religion was back to the public sphere as interpretation bodies even for the secular societies.
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Sociologists predicted that the rest of the world would follow under Europe’s secularization process, although this was not the case with the US. The role of religion in the US has been sturdy, as has been evident by the church attendance and religion’s role in political activism (Possamai, 2019). This was even as the country spearheaded modernization, arguably exceeding most European countries. This has seen the diversification of religion in the US, where there exist multiple alternative religious salvation systems whereas most nations in Europe tend to have a predominant national church. This difference and diversity may be explained by the role of voluntarism in religion. In the US, the believers mainly attend places of worship since there is a culture of consumer choice, which contrasts that of Europe where members may feel obligated to attend to their religion’s dictates.
The separation of church and state could easily be seen as a function that serves both ends well. The state is freed from all religious liabilities, referencing or scrubbing religions, and this gives its citizens more freedom. Additionally, people have more faith in their government when they feel that no religion is preferred and that they would not suffer for preferring one set of beliefs to another. The separation has also meant that members from different communities of faith may fully participate in public life, hence encouraging diversity and tolerance. From this perspective, the separation of state and religion would not necessarily mean the downfall of religion, but its resurgence as an individual affair rather than as a political or social instrument.
Discussion
The ‘Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster’ also referred to as ‘Pastafarianism’ is a movement opposing religion’s teaching of intelligent design (which presents God as an evidence-based scientific theory about the source of life) in schools (Britannica, 2019). The church initially gained fame when intelligent design replaced evolution teachings in schools and the initiators demanded that Pastafarianism should also be integrated into the curriculum, their main argument is that all religions are the same as they are insignificant in science classes. Although the church has some absurd beliefs, like the reducing number of pirates is the cause of global warming, the members showed their dedication and seriousness by appearing in front of evolution hearings and publishing a ‘bible’. With the traditional definition of religion, that is, “a construct of beliefs and practices that defines the sacred and forbidden and unifies a community”, I think Pastafarianism could be considered to be a religion. The church has gone to gain a lot of believers, especially scholars and scientists who are unified by opposing the consideration of intelligent design as scientific. I think that the Pastafarian headgear, the pasta strainer, should be allowed for their believers’ driving license photos. This is because most laws permit headgears only if they are worn for religious reasons, and no one would wear a pasta strainer for a driving license photo were it not for religious reasons.
Response
The Discussion is informative on the Pastafarian religion. The author starts by explaining the main role of the religion, which is to emphasize that religion is absurd. The author also successfully highlights the factors of the religion that make it legitimate and its similarities to other existing religions. Similarly, they address the seriousness of the members in committing to its ideologies. However, the author fails to explain the main role of the religion, which was that Pastafarianism is more about the opposition of the integration of religion as an alternative to evolution science than they were about intelligent religion itself.
References
Britannica. (2019). Flying Spaghetti Monster | Description, History, & Facts. Retrieved 20 October 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Flying-Spaghetti-Monster
Possamai, A. (2019). Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y. Routledge.
