Religion has many names and is a varied belief system. For the sake of this article, the focus is on differentiating terminology, namely “atheist”, “secular” and “agnostic.”
There are many terminologies regarding beliefs and spirituality, with terms like secular, atheist, and agnostic falling under one umbrella for the most part. Still, each word has a different meaning from one another.
It is often used synonymously when it comes to terms like agnostic and atheist. Still, they have distinct meanings. Secular, on the other hand, is also closely compared to the said terms, but just like an atheist and agnostic, secular also has another meaning.
What Is Practical Atheism?
Atheism comes from the Greek word meaning without God or “theos”. Although various gods existed in ancient Greece, the term without God is still the foundation of the word atheist.
Technically, atheist folks do not believe God exists, and those who practice atheism don’t believe in any god.
The Pew Research Center found in research regarding atheists that there are many in certain parts of the world. An atheist may not believe in God, but one-in-five self-identifying atheists believe in a greater power. Research also shows that the atheist population is largely concentrated in Europe. Countries predominantly atheist include Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.
On the other hand, regions like the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa are more religious and either believe in God or follow Christianity or another religion. Finding any form of strong atheist beliefs is very rare.
Some atheist philosophers include:
- Scott Aikin
- Richard Dawkins
- Tariq Ali
- John Addison
- Dan Goldstick
- James Rachels
- Walter Kaufmann
- Mario Bunge
- Theodorus, the Atheist
- Helen Mary Warnock Baroness Warnock
- Philippa Ruth Foot
- Thomas W Flynn
When comparing the number of people that believe God exists regarding gender, fewer men believe in the existence of God compared to women. The Pew Research Center found 83.4% of women and 79.9% of men associated with religion across 192 countries.
Agnostic: Agnostic Atheist or Agnostic Theism?
Many people use agnostic and atheist as though they are the same. Yet, when comparing the two, while they may seem similar, agnostic and atheist, they still differ in some ways.
Agnostic atheism
When it comes to agnostic atheism, this type of agnostic believes that there is no God. Agnostic atheism doesn’t believe in the existence of any gods, and there is no drive or reason to find out if gods or a supreme being exists.
Weak agnosticism
Weak agnosticism doesn’t have a strong belief about whether or not deities exist, but believe that they might exist.
Agnostic theist
Some agnostic theists believe that God exists while others don’t believe in a God. Since agnostic theists may believe either-or, they often regarded as neutral in this instance. In other words, while they may not directly believe in God, their beliefs include believing in a higher power or the existence of a higher power.
The word “agnostic” is a Greek word meaning “unknown.” Agnostic believers are also unsure or unaware if there are many gods or just one God. This is a stark contrast to atheists that don’t believe in a God nor any gods of past or present religion of any sort.
What is Secular?
Secular is everything opposed to spirituality. For example, secular beliefs are of the world and perhaps what science can prove. Secular people don’t have any religious affiliation in contrast to folks following Christianity, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
When comparing secular to religion, secular does not have a specific faith. People who identify with the secular spectrum are not religious in any way.
Secular folks don’t regard religions like Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism. Religions of the East or Asian religions are less likely to be associated with secular folks since it focuses on in-depth spirituality.
One of the core factors influencing secularism is the order or belief that one cannot practice spirituality openly. Instead, spirituality should be behind closed doors so as not to insult or offend or try to impose religion and spirituality on people who don’t share the same beliefs.
The secular movement often opposes spiritual or religious motions in higher authorities like the government, politics, and other public associations like schools, sports clubs, and so on. Athletes often say a quick prayer before or after a game, but these gestures have also been a topic of dispute in sporting communities.
Secular folks don’t want to be forced into following a religion or a religious or spiritual ruler. For this reason, secularism also has a significant disbelieve in gods or higher powers.
Secular is considered a neutral stance and doesn’t side with atheism or agnosticism. There are also different secular varieties within the realm of secularism.
Types of Secular Beliefs
When looking at secularism, some factors are religious freedom and aspects that encourage equality amongst all people. This equality includes people of all walks of life and spiritual spectrum or no spiritual influence.
Example #1 Freedom of religion
Some secular folks are somewhere in the middle and neutral on the religious subject. Secular folk who identify with a neutral stance will also encourage the freedom to practice religion or faith. At the same time, religious persons are also allowed to leave their religion and not believe in anything if they choose this way.
Example #2: Separation of religion and non-religion
Secularism, with a strong take on being non-religious or non-spiritual, seeks to separate the two practices. Secularism has become more prevalent in public and government, where secular folks would encourage religious practices to take place in private and not be on display.
Example #3: Public equality
Public spaces like schools, hospitals, and shopping centers are regarded as communal spaces and shared with people with various faiths or beliefs. Public equality from a secular point of view seeks to eliminate any religious practices that would cause conflict amongst people. For example, Islam and Christianity. Secularism focuses on eliminating any influence from one religion over the other.
Conclusion
Hearing the three terms as discussed might feel as though they are all the same, but after reading this, it’s much clear as to what each one means. The world consists of all secular, atheists and agnostic people.
