Secularism
Secularism
Secularism (/sɛkjʊlərɪzəm/, from Latin saeculum meaning "worldly" or "temporal") is the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries.
Etymology
The term "secularism" was first used by the British writer George Jacob Holyoake in 1851. Holyoake invented the term secularism to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion, without actively dismissing or criticizing religious belief.
Definition
Secularism is a belief system that rejects religion, or the belief that religion should not be part of the affairs of the state or part of public education. The principles of secularism are often associated with the Enlightenment in the West.
Related Terms
- Atheism: Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.
- Agnosticism: The view that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable.
- Humanism: A philosophical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively.
- Separation of Church and State: The distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Secularism
- Wikipedia's article - Secularism
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski