The 3 ways people discuss secularisation (Jose Casanova)
“The decline of belief and practice in modern society. Some suggest this is a normal universal, human development process.” Maybe yes, more people claim to be non religious than Christian.
“The privatisation of religion, where religion should be private and should not be seen in public.” Maybe no because major national events still involve religion
“The secular separation of spheres of state, economy, science, which are free from religious institutions.” Maybe no because the King is still head of the state and Church of England
“Somebody else must be responsible for my well-being, and somebody else must be to blame if I am hurt. Is it a similar infantilism that really lies behind the ‘need’ for a God?” - The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins)
In the defence of religious schools
Professor Leslie Francis (researcher at Warwick Religions and Education unit) found evidence to suggest that young people who are committed to Christianity are actually more open to people of other faiths and beliefs not less open. This is because it is not the school that impacts attitude but the students themselves.
Charles Taylor says that there should be a recognition that societies are increasingly multicultural. No culture, including an atheist one, should impose itself on others because this causes minority cultures to diminish
Jo Marchant - Religion can have a biological effect
She highlights the healing power of spiritual beliefs in HIV patients – a 2006 study of HIV patients found 50% through their religion / spirituality was helping them live longer. Another study found that 45% of HIV patients became more religious after their diagnosis, and those who did ‘lost CD4 cells much more slowly’ over the four years of the study than those who didn’t. Religious belief isn’t always healing – those who believe in an angry or judgemental God are more stressed and heal less well.
