Religious Conflict: Secularization
Introduction
It is understood as secularization, that phenomenon or process that entails the differentiation between the ecclesiastical and religious sphere, and civil spheres, both policies and state. It is worth highlighting the difference between secularization and secularization theory. The secularization theory predicted in its development, as an irreversible phenomenon, the growing decline and disappearance of religion due to the modernization of society. While secularization is the separation of civil spheres, of the religious sphere.
Today’s religious panorama is the final result of the numerous changes that have been produced over several centuries. The birth of modern society brought with it a drastic change in the way of living and understanding religion, at the same time as in the role of religion in society.
Developing
The new modern paradigm meant the end of the traditional Society of the Middle Ages, which was characterized by a religious vision of the world, organized around the Church, its symbols and institutions, and where everything was part of a religious world and was inspired by thereligion. Religious understanding was also transformed, also affected by the new ways of being religious, which will take away importance and relevance to the historical and traditional thoughts of religions.
While it is true that most authors who studied the secularization process predicted a progressive decline of religious beliefs and practices, it is also that there are others that are critical of this phenomenon. A great example of this is Peter Ludwig Berger. Berger makes a description of how secularization theory, for a while, has been valid as a paradigm of the study of religion, but after obtaining empirical evidence it has been defined as experimentally unsustainable.
For Berger, secularization is a process by which the different sectors of society and culture are separated from the domain of religious institutions and symbols. In his article, “Pl Berger, the numerous altars of modernity. In search of a paradigm for religion in a pluralistic era, follow me, Salamanca 2016.9-11 ”states that his religious position has not undergone any change since his youth, but that, we have increasingly found the idea thatThe theory was contradicted due to the existence of empirical facts.
Some clear examples that support this argument are specific events that happened in the past, such as 11-S, which surprised the world showing the most unfortunate face of the return of the religious and brought with it a clash of civilizations. This fact was the strengthening of the religious identity of each of the two parties involved, Christianity or Protestantism and Islam.
On the other hand, even though they disagree with them, Berger shows admiration for other researchers defending secularization. Christianity or Protestantism and Islam. On the other hand, even though they disagree with them, Berger shows admiration for other researchers defending secularization. Christianity or Protestantism and Islam. On the other hand, even though they disagree with them, Berger shows admiration for other researchers defending secularization.
The separation between faith and society has increased as a result of the deep research on life and the world itself, as well as by the advances of science. On many occasions, the power of conviction of researchers and their insistence cause people to leave aside religious fact and faith. This is a great example of how other social spheres have great influence on the religious sphere.
It also highlighted another thinker, J.V. Casanova, who understands the term of secularization as change, not only of people, but also of things and meanings, from an ecclesiastical sphere to a civil sphere. To J.V. Casanova, the theory of secularization is the progressive decline of religious practices, beliefs and institutions.
This author refers to three different theses about secularization theory. It is in the first thesis, in which, in some way, it defines what is understood by secularization. In this thesis, Casanova reflects the existence of a conflict between the new science and the Church, which raises doubts in many people about the theories of religions, promoting the theory of secularization.
In the second thesis, Casanova refers to secularization as the generalized decline of religious practices and beliefs. In this second thesis, the author exposes the lack of a joint agreement about what is considered religion. The absence of this agreement generates difficulties for the study of religions, since the arrival of modernity generates doubts about traditions.
Finally, in the third and last thesis, Casanova refers to secularization as the privatization of religion, that is, the change of a public sphere to a private sphere. This implies that religion would decrease its importance, to the point of disappearing or being reduced to the merely private scope. In other words, modernization would mark the end of religion.
In the second chapter of his work, "Genealogies of secularization", Jv Casanova talks about the existence of a new paradigm in the United States, which has turned the theory of secularization. In this paradigm, both religious spirit and freedom reign jointly. This is due to what in the American field, the processes of modernization and social changes have frequently accompanied by religious growth and revitalization processes.
Finally, one could also highlight or. González de Cardedal and his ideas about secularism and freedom. This author describes secularism as a state or quality of anything or secular person, and freedom, as an end of nature, at the same time as an absolute beginning. Defends that without understanding and understanding reality from reason, there can be no freedom.
In relation to secularism, laity states oppose the denial. However, there are also confessional states, in which due to the imposition of a compulsory religion, there will be less freedom than in a secular state, in which its functioning is totally independent of any religious confession.
conclusion
In this way, it is feasible to affirm that freedom goes hand in hand with secularism, because the absence of religious imposition by the State allows it to be the individual himself who can decide about his beliefs and thoughts, contributing to him freedomto grow. On the other hand, I think it is necessary to understand the difference between secularism and secularism;Saying as something positive or fair being considered, while secularism is understood as a radical or exclusive aspect.
To conclude, I think that in general, religious beliefs and their practices are less and less common in today’s societies. Many people detract from religion, consider it as something old. In my opinion, I think this is because we are less and less prone to reason for ourselves, being susceptible to manipulations. I think that today there is some interest, on the part of different sectors, in which the Church is departed from the public scene, with the aim of gradually obtaining its disappearance.
Leave feedback