C4.2 secularisation

• New Age movement: rejects trad relig, diff meaning of spirituality, self-actualisation
• attendance in CofE 50 % less between 1980 and 2015
• 5 reasons for decline in relig believers:

  1. rejecting authority
  2. scientific developments
  3. philosophical empiricism challenge metaphysical beliefs
  4. commercialism + increase in hedonism
  5. negative associations; scandals, problematic teachings
• Dawkins' 3 criticisms of relig

  1. science contradicts, evolution vs Genesis
  2. delusion, irrational, infantile
  3. damaging - immoral, indoctrination, anti-progress
• develop Dawkins' critique of relig as damaging to society (3)

  1. immoral teachings
  2. indoctrinates kids: less critical thinking, close-minded
  3. anti-progress: relig opposed to gay rights + contracep
• "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world" - Dawkins: relig = anti-progress
• Hitchens' 2 criticism of relig

  1. damaging: intolerance = essence of relig
  2. totalitarian: strict values restrict personal freedom
• relig is dangerous - "religion poisons everything" (Hitchens)
• relig is immoral - "we keep being told that religion [...] instils morality. [...] faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid (Hitchens)
• 3 responses to Hitchens' critique of relig as immoral

  1. love + equality focus (SE)
  2. atheists hatred + intolerance too
  3. progress morality: Just War, Pope John XXIII no violence
• 3 responses to Hitchens' critique of relig as immoral

  1. love + equality focus (SE)
  2. atheists hatred + intolerance too
  3. progress in morality: Just War, Pope John XXIII condemn violence