Secularism in the View of Religious Community

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The term "secularism" was first used by the British writer George Jacob Holyoake in 1851. Although the term was new, the general notions of free thought on which it was based had existed throughout history. Holyoake invented the term "secularism" to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion, without actively dismissing or criticizing religious belief. As an agnostic himself, Holyoake argued that "Secularism is not an argument against Christianity; it is one independent of it. It does not question the pretensions of Christianity; it advances others. Secularism does not say there is no light or guidance elsewhere, but maintains that there is light and guidance in secular truth, whose conditions and sanctions exist independently, and act forever. Secular knowledge is manifestly that kind of knowledge which is founded in this life, which relates to the conduct of this life, conduces to the welfare of this life, and is capable of being tested by the experience of this life."
Barry Kosmin of the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture breaks modern secularism into two types: hard and soft secularism. According to Kosmin, "the hard secularist considers religious propositions to be epistemologically illegitimate, warranted by neither reason nor experience." However, in the view of soft secularism, "the attainment of absolute truth was impossible and therefore scepticism and tolerance should be the principle and overriding values in the discussion of science and religion."
The term of secularism comes from Latin, Saeculum that has two connotations which are “time” and “location”. The “time” refers to present and the “location” refers to the world. Then Saeculum means the recent age or pres...

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...nish which ever applied inhospitable secularism toward religion. Nevertheless, in the development lately, both of those states have changed into more hospitable toward religion.

Works Cited

http://andabertanyaateismenjawab.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/apa-sebenarnya-sekuler-itu-2/ http://azizblitar.blogspot.com/2012/01/ancaman-sekularisme.html http://zenzaenal.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/model-sekularisme-buat-kita/ http://peak-ok.blogspot.com/2013/06/sekularisme-sekularisme-di-dunia.html http://www.republika.co.id/berita/internasional/global/13/10/09/mueb01-pencabutan-larangan-berjilbab-berakhirnya-sekularisme-di-Turkey
Holyoake, G.J. (1896). The Origin and Nature of Secularism, London: Watts and Co. p.51
Secularism, Catholic Encyclopedia. Newadvent.org
Kosmin, Barry A. "Hard and soft secularists and hard and soft secularism: An intellectual and research challenge.".

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