Secularization

The influence of organized religion is being systematically eliminated in society. This encourages individualistic world views in which traditional, shared unifying concepts such as the existence of God may have no place.

Secularization affects medical-moral issues such as contraception, abortion and generally, the right to life. Although it might be evident first in public behaviour, it acquires a degree of officiality when it is embraced by government, and thereafter spreads quickly. As secularization permeates a society, government is eventually officially divorced from anything to do with religion, whether through a state church, subsidies for religious education, or any other institution of preferment that advances or establishes one creed above another. Acts of legislation may eliminate: tax advantages conceded to churches; religious tests or oaths for civil office; censorship and other religiously-inspired barriers to freedom of expression.

Secularization can be see as several types of concepts: (a) The decline of religion from an objective standpoint, such as, institutions, membership or participation in worship. (b) Institutions, practices and activities traditionally done by religion being assumed by non-religious social processes, such as, education being done by the state. (c) Norms from religion being transposed to the world, for example, the institutionalization of the norm of equality. (d) The world being desacralization, i.e. approaching the world through rational explanation and manipulation rather than through awe and a sense of mystery. (e) Religion conforming to the world.