Secularism Is A Worldview By Brendan Sweetman

Religion and politics are considered to be taboo topics in our present age. The debate is usually, should religion and politics mix? Or are they like oil and water? Two entities that cannot mix no matter how much one shakes them. Indeed, the two topics, religion and politics are very sensitive. Brendan Sweetman bridges this gap by stating that “politics needs religion if it is to be truly democratic, concerned with fairness among worldviews, equality and a vigorous public discussion” (p. 12). He insists that, all worldviews have a genuine place in the democratic process, and that non-religious positions promote their own worldviews, just as the various religions do. Indeed, he demonstrates that even “secular humanism is a worldview” and a

52). Sweetman contends that “secularism is an influential and serious worldview in the modern world and it plays a significant role in the debate in the public square” (p. 17). He likens secularism to religion in chapters one, three and four although he states that, the difference between traditional religions and secularism is the obvious negation of the spiritual realm and a God (p. 79). Advancing the argument that secularism and Christianity should be treated in the same manner that is, both should have similar access to the public sphere. He unpacks the argument in chapter four by addressing contentious debates such as euthanasia (p. 85) and abortion (p. 86) which he argues should not be left to secularists for their main agenda is “Seculocracy-which is a point where the laws are based on secularist ideologies” (p. 65) and also shows how in a multicultural and democratic society, those with religious convictions can just as properly, and reasonably, put forth their case as the secularists. Abortion is a perfect example how secularists have imposed their “religious” beliefs upon the rest of the society which can be viewed as a form of secular tyranny. He adds that secularism is life regulating due to the belief that “everyone has the right to live as they deem fit just as long as they do not harm another person” (p.