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SECULAR PERSPECTIVES ON PEACE |
THE DEFINITION OF SECULARISM WILL SHOW HOW CRUCIAL SECULARISM IS TO GOOD GOVERNANCE AND PEACE.
*FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND *FREEDOM FROM RELIGION.
WITHIN *A STATE THAT IS SECULAR i.e.. NEUTRAL ON SUCH MATTERS OF FAITH, BELIEF AND RELIGION - GIVING NO PRIVILEGES OR SUBSIDIES TO RELIGION, OVER THE SECULAR
For more definitions and index of subjects [1].
fALL THESE ISSUES OVERLAP AS SECULARIST / PEACE ISSUES
Poverty... population control.... attitudes to women, health, reproductive rights... education.... contraception & abortion... condom use... political religion....sectarianism.....political ideologies... conflict over resources.... competition for religious/political influence....anti-science attitudes.....
fRELIGION IN POLITICS IS A CURSE
*SECTARIANISM IS A CAUSE OF CONFLICT - DIRECT AND INDIRECT
*RELIGIONS CAUSE DIVISIVENESS AND SEPARATE COMMUNITIES AT LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, SEGREGATE SCHOOL CHILDREN, GHETTOISE HOUSING, HINDER INTEGRATION AND EXACERBATE SOCIAL TENSIONS THAT SPILL OUT INTO WIDER CONFLICTS. e.g. in the UK & Europe
*RELIGIONS CONFLICT OVER THEOCRATIC IDEOLOGY, POLITICAL INFLUENCE, LAND AND RESOURCES. SUCH AS OIL AND WATER e.g. Israel & Palestine.
*DOMINANT POLITICAL RELIGIONS OFTEN PREVENT RATIONAL, EVIDENCE BASED, NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF PROBLEMS AND CONFLICTS. Evangelical Christianity in the US and Islam in the Middle East.
*THEY MAY ASSERT OPPOSITION TO, AND PREVENT FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND SOCIAL POLICIES THAT CONFLICT WITH THEIR DOCTRINES. e.g. opposition to UN health and population control problems - advising on and providing contraception, abortion and condom use.
FEMINISM IS A SECULARIST PEACE ISSUE
*CRUELTY TO AND OPPRESSION OF WOMEN REACHES ATROCIOUS PROPORTIONS IN SOME RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES, AND EVEN MAINSTREAM OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN - SHAPED BY RELIGION - ARE A CAUSE OF DIVISIVENESS, POVERTY AND EXCLUSION OF WOMEN IN PUBLIC DEBATE AND DECISION-MAKING .
*WOMEN ARE THE BACKBONE OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, AND THIS IS NO LESS EVIDENT IN THE PEACE MOVEMENT - YET THEIR INPUT INTO GOVERNMENT IS MINIMAL.
*FEMINISM IS A SECULARIST ISSUE, BECAUSE MISOGYNY AND SEXISM ARE PART AND PARCEL OF RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES TO WOMEN, INHERITED FROM CENTURIES OF PATRIARCHAL RELIGION AND THE OTHER MALE DOMINATED ELITES.[3}
*IT IS THE RELIGIONS WHO OPPOSE WOMEN'S RIGHTS ON REPRODUCTION, CONTRACEPTION, ABORTION & CONDOM USE.
*IT IS DISTORTED AND OUT OF DATE ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN AND SEXUALITY THAT MAKES THE RELIGIONS OPPOSE SENSIBLE ATTITUDES TOWARDS SEXUALITY AND TRY TO PREVENT ADEQUATE SEX EDUCATION.
POVERTY IS A SECULARIST / PEACE ISSUE
*POVERTY IS OFTEN CAUSED BY OVERPOPULATION AND THE SUBJECTION OF WOMEN AS A RESULT OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES, THIS MAKES IT A SECULARIST ISSUE. AS DO THE RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION TO WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR FERTILITY, AND PRACTICE BIRTH CONTROL.
*POVERTY IS EXACERBATED IN COUNTRIES WHERE HIGH RATES OF HIV/AIDS INFECTION - DUE TO THE PREVENTION BY CONDOM USE - TAKE OUT SO MANY PARENTS AND PEOPLE OF WORKING AGE.
*ONE CAUSE OF OVERPOPULATION IS THE NEED THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR CHILDREN TO PROVIDE FOR THEM IN OLD AGE - THE ANSWER IS TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO USE BIRTH CONTROL BY ALL METHODS, IN SOCIETIES WHERE THERE IS ALSO STATE PROVISION FOR OLD AGE DEPENDENTS.
THE SECULAR HUMANIST POLITICAL AGENDA [2]
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL FREEDOM AND EQUALITY REQUIRES FROM GOVERNMENT:-
*DEMOCRACY,
*SECULARISM,
*ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND
*FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NONE OF THEM ARE ENOUGH ON THEIR OWN
DEMOCRACY - GIVES A MEASURE OF PARTICIPATION.
SECULARISM - ENSURES FREEDOM OF AND FROM RELIGION
LEFT LIBERAL POLITICAL IDEOLOGY BRINGS FREEDOM AND EQUALITY THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND EQUALITY.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ARE NECESSARY FOR CITIZENS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, TO PREVENT OPPRESSION AND CORRUPTION
DEMOCRACY (IS NOT ENOUGH)
DEMOCRACY ALONE IS RULE BY THE MAJORITY - IT MAY OR MAY NOT SAFEGUARD MINORITIES. IT DOES NOT ENSURE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FREEDOM OR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND INFORMATION
SECULARISM (IS NOT ENOUGH)
SECULARISM ALONE DOES NOT ENSURE POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC FREEDOM, PROTECT POLITICAL MINORITIES OR ENSURE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
LEFT/LIBERAL POLITICAL IDEOLOGY (IS NOT ENOUGH)
LEFT LIBERAL POLITICAL IDEOLOGY GIVES ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND EQUALITY THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO CLAIM THEIR RIGHTS, AND VOICE THEIR OPINIONS - IT DOES NOT PROTECT MINORITIES AND ALLOWS THE ACCUMULATION OF GREAT WEALTH TO DISTORT DEMOCRACY AND FREE EXPRESSION.
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FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND INFORMATION (IS NOT ENOUGH) |
WITHOUT FULL AND FREE INFORMATION CITIZENS CANNOT MAKE INFORMED CHOICES
IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR MEANINGFUL DEMOCRACY
FREE SPEECH AND ACCESS TO THE MEDIA IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT SUPPRESSION OF OPINION AND INFORMATION IN PUBLIC DEBATE
LACK OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IT HAMPERS CRITICISM & OPPOSITION, IT STIFLES PUBLIC DEBATE AND AIDS CORRUPTION
[1] For more definitions & subject index
[2] A Secular Humanist Political Agenda
[3] The History of Women freethinkers