Ten Issues of a Secular Society
Sam
How far should we go in affirming ourselves as a secular society? As
the end of this year approaches, is or isn't it time to reflect on such
issues? Will you be sending your best wishes to friends and family this
year? Here are the Ten Issues of a Secular Society!
Often, these issue seem to revolve around seemingly trivial questions
such as whether any references to 'God' should be removed from a
particular government institution. More generally, however, there are
deeper cultural issues behind this, rather than a mere cosmetic attempt
to be more politically correct. In a society with a diversity of
religions, belief systems, philosophies and "looks at life", doesn't it
make sense for government to take a more neutral or secular position in
all this? This issue was brought up earlier here by Deborah, in the
thread:
http://groups.google.com/group/humanities/browse_thread/thread/7e3790a19076f7f2
1. No God in Pledge of Allegiance?
Should the word 'God' be taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance? For
years, a California father has been challenging teacher-led recitation
of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.
2. Should the words 'in God we trust' be on Coins and Bills, etc?
As you may know, I personally believe that government shouldn't have a
monopoly over money in the first place. However, as long as government
does exercize such a monopoly, it should do so without bias towards any
specific religion or belief system, shouldn't it? Why should 'God' be
mentioned on coins and bills, if this inaccurately reflects the
diversity of our current society? Yes, I know, there have been many
Christians among early settlers, but doesn't pluralism better reflect
the values behind our current society?
3. Should Government avoid public celebrations of Christmas and Easter?
Should Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter no longer be celebrated as
a Public Holidays? Should government departments stop sending any
greeting cards and messages to staff and clients at the end of the
year, even when they don't mention 'Merry Christmas', but instead
merely wish for a 'Happy New Year' or 'Happy Holidays'? Should
'Christmas Lights' be called 'Festivity Lights', or 'Fairy Lights' or
just 'lights'? Similarly, should Christmas Carols be referred to as
just 'carols' or 'songs'? Should a public broadcasting station avoid
broadcasting Christian celebrations around Christmas and Easter? Should
they avoid mentioning associated celebrations in newsreports at all?
4. Change the Calendar to BDI and ADI?
Should historians continue to use the phrase BC (Before Christ)?
Officials at the Cheddar Caves museum in Cheddar George, Somerset, one
of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, have changed all exhibit
dates to BP (Before Present [Times]). As Cheddar Caves museum curator
Bob Smart says, different religions have different dating systems. Some
people suggest that we can continue using BC, as long as we insist that
this means Before Current [Times], rather than Before [the birth of]
Christ. Alternatively, we can start counting from another date
altogether, say, the day of the Declaration of Independence (DI),
resulting in years before (BDI) and after (ADI).
5. No Bible in Public Hospitals?
Should Gideon's Bible be removed from the drawers next to beds in
public hospitals? Apart from secular considerations, there's the added
argument that such bibles can spread contagious diseases.
6. Stop Privileges for Religious Charities?
Should religious charities have tax privileges when they engage in
commercial activities? Should Churches that sell CDs, organize bingos,
hold real estate and sell food be exempt from Council Rates, Capital
Gains Tax, Income Tax, etc? Should the 'Christmas Box', for donations,
be removed from the desks of public offices? Should religious charities
get government grants for social work and community activities?
7. Ban Religious Symbols from Public School and University Dress Codes?
Should all public schools and universities have dress codes, or should
each case be treated individually? Should a formal dress code be
introduced to ban students at public schools and universities from
wearing items and symbols that carry a strong visual religious message,
such as headscarfs, large crosses, turbans and printed t-shirts?
Interestingly, the European Court of Human Rights recently threw out an
appeal by a Muslim woman student against Turkey's ban on wearing a
hijab, or headscarf, in universities, while an Islam woman won her case
in the Netherlands against the Islamic College of Amsterdam, which had
denied her a position for refusing to wear a headscarf.
8. What constitutes Science at Public Schools?
Should public schools be allowed to mention 'Creationism' or
'Intelligent Design' as a serious alternative to Evolution? Should
public schools stick to a formal curriculum regarding science in the
first place?
9. Ten Commandments on Public Displays?
Should the Ten Commandments be on public displays, such as on statues
in front of courthouses or in parks? As said before, christianity did
play an important role in the history of the western world, but so did
the American Indians and Innuits, to mention but two cultural and
ethnic groups. The Supreme Court seems divided on the issue,
prohibiting the display of framed copies of the Ten Commandments on the
walls of two rural Kentucky courthouses in one recent case, while
rejecting in another recent ruling the objections against a 6-foot-tall
granite monument on the grounds of the Texas Capitol in Austin, which
displayed the Ten Commandments. Sure, the Ten Commandments have an
important place in the foundation of the current law, but they are at
the same time at odds with our rights in many cases, as discussed in:
http://groups.google.com/group/epistemology/msg/8bba031bd3a658b9
and in:
http://groups.google.com/group/discussion/browse_thread/thread/56a616fb37a9f906
For a more detailed discussion on where the Ten Commandments are at
odds with our rights, see:
http://groups.google.com/group/morality/msg/e7dc4ef52fbef512
10. Should Government rule on Mariage?
Is monogamy, specifically the marriage between a man and a woman,
merely a reflection of Christian values that no longer has a place in
our current diverse society? Should polygamy be allowed or banned? What
about gay marriage? Should married people have legal privileges in tax,
inheritance, adoptions, etc?
This issue was earlier addressed at:
http://groups.google.com/group/humanities/msg/7163c45883edc9fe
That message also addressed other cultural differences, such as that in
the western world, it's common for children in cases of split-ups to go
to the mother, whereas women and children have less say in things in
the Middle East.
The above message also mentioned marijuana which is commonly used in
some countires that do prohibit alcohol, but that would extend the list
beyond the Magic Number Ten. Don't let that discourage you from
discussing these and similar issues here; if there are any similar
issues, feel welcome to add them to the list!
If we look at things more generally, the question is whether all these
issues are merely based on religious differences and, if that was the
case, whether government should rule either way in our current secular
and diverse society. Personally, I feel that there's no place for
government at all in dictating personal relations - if people felt the
need to, say, pledge vows, they can do so without a formal wedding
procedure, couldn't they? Shouldn't they?
Sam