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Category: Faith, Religion & Spirituality / Topics: Choices and Decision Making • Demographics • Religion • Trends • Values
Secular Religion
by Dan Seagren
Posted: February 2, 2020
Is no religious preference really another religion?…
Living today as many do, either we don't give too much thought to religion or we may subconsciously believe that a liberal democracy exists in its place. But then, there are those who object to calling a modern secular humanistic society a secular religion. Understandably unless we reflect a little more on it.
A long time ago, civilization gradually descended into a culture so shameful that it was totally destroyed by an enormous flood. Sure, many debate this but let's assume it did happen. Later some of those eight Ark survivors descendants scattered widely but some remained in their homeland, Palestine (or Israel). Many of those Jews became followers of Jesus Christ and started a new religion eventually called Christianity which spread from the first century on among other religions, sects and cults.
Today, nearing 2020 our civilization after many centuries of religious turmoil and success facing secular social orders struggling for answers economically, culturally, socially, philosophically, politically but not spiritually (religiously). These questions included where did we come from, how long ago, is there life after death, eternity, is there a supreme deity, what is righteousness, morality, sin, conscience etc. Secular humanism tried perhaps subconsciously to also substitute for religion (The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods: "ideas about the relationship between science and religion."
This is one definition among others but quite incisive. When a culture is established like inthe original Declaration of Independence declaring that all men (people) are created equal . . .endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable (non-negotiable) rights . . . Life, Liberty and Happiness and then watch it slowly diminish as it has done so in so many Civilizations including ours is unfortunate (regrettable) for so many.
Not that worldwide social-governments, also known as liberal democracies and secular humanism, have not accomplished significant governments. They have but without the support of spirituality (religious, supernatural) found in divinely inspired other-dimensional governing bodies known as Religions, certain essential ingredients are missing or misleading. The ingredients mentioned above in part (in the third paragraph) need divine providential components for a balanced Civilization. Unfortunately, even well named Religions can falter and drift away and even flourish sometimes with serious imperfections.
Familiar secular humanism is not as balanced as it should be. Spiritual dimensions (like soul, mind, conscience, worship, reverence, eternity, honesty, compassion, morality and deity can be either ignored or reviled, so watch out.
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Dan Seagren is an active retiree whose writings reflect his life as a Pastor, author of several books, and service as a Chaplain in a Covenant Retirement Community. • E-mail the author (su.nergaesnad@brabnad*) • Author's website (personal or primary**)* For web-based email, you may need to copy and paste the address yourself.
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Posted: February 2, 2020 Accessed 335 times
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