Introduction
An important sociological theory related to religion, the secularization theory speaks about the impact of modernization and industrialization on religion. Supporters of the theory argue that the very foundations of religion are undermined by increasing industrialization and modernization. They believe that religion takes a back seat and becomes increasingly shallow as scientific developments and intellectual growth shake the foundations of religion as a whole (Martin, 2016). The United Kingdom is no exception to this process, and it has been observed that the increase in scientific thought, as well as urbanization, has been instrumental in relegating religion to the backseat (Ellis, Hoskin, Dutton & Nyborg, 2017). The need to express intellectual thought and modernity is found to clash with the ideology of being subservient to a greater and unexplainable power that is the cornerstone of religious beliefs (Seidman, 2017).
The Growth of Secularism and the Decline of Religious Beliefs
Sociologists have been predicting the decline in religious beliefs for more than a century now. These beliefs are increasingly being replaced by outlooks that are scientific, humanistic, or naturalistic. Interestingly, religious beliefs are based on the culture of home education (Ellis, Hoskin, Dutton & Nyborg, 2017). Thus, in homes where religion is considered sacrosanct, not only are the religious beliefs deeply seated, but even rebellion against such beliefs is merely superficial as compared to families that encourage more liberal views and secular thinking rooted in the modern beliefs of science and so on (Martin, 2016). The persistent fear about the future of religion has been a much-debated topic since secularism took its roots in society (Davie, Heelas & Woodhead, 2017).
While modern living has been attributed to the growth of secularism and the subsequent decline of religious beliefs, the supply theory challenged this ideology in 1980. The supply theory states that society continues to support religion and religious sentiment, although it may take a different form (Bettiza & Dionigi, 2014). The theory states that the potential for human demand for religion, religious beliefs, and so on persists regardless of the overt changes seen in society and is useful in explaining the various levels of religious feelings in society, with more diverse societies displaying higher religious sentiment and vice versa (Seidman, 2017). It would be apt to state that feelings like vulnerability are the key drivers of overzealous religious beliefs, which have now been tempered across Europe thanks to education and social responsibility by governments. The resultant change in thinking has resulted in an erosion of several religious beliefs and practices, but the values continue to remain in current use, particularly among the more prosperous industrial countries like the United Kingdom (Beyer, 2013).
Evidence indicates that people in high-risk groups are more prone to overt religious displays, as were seen during the pre-industrialization era across Europe and particularly Britain. However, it would be incorrect to state that religion has died in secular societies merely due to a shift in the expression of religious sentiment (Martin, 2016). Theories like the Loss of Faith and Loss of Purpose are thus redundant as they do not reflect the depth of society but merely examine the outward causes, much like a physician who treats the symptoms rather than the disease. Religion continues to serve its purpose, and the masses have not lost faith merely by not expressing old-fashioned religious displays that were the norm in pre-industrialized society in England. Jeffery Hadden contends that the theory of secularization is a myth that became widely accepted simply because there was no strong evidence to challenge it. The growing number of atheists, however, raises questions about this line of argument (Davie, Heelas & Woodhead, 2017), (Beyer, 2013).
Increasing Growth of Atheists
The Nineteenth century was a major turning point for religion and religious beliefs, as secularism gained popularity. Atheists and other non-religious groups are gaining in population across the world. Alternative religions like Scientology are also gaining ground and replacing traditional religious beliefs. The last 60 years have witnessed a significant decline in the religious population. Several recent surveys on the subject reveal that the religious population is falling while atheist and non-religious fractions are seeing a significant increase. This change is seen to be proportionate with the increase in personal income as well as education (Ellis, Hoskin, Dutton & Nyborg, 2017), (Beyer, 2013). Europe is no exception to this global trend that is expected to continue going forward as well. Of significance is the drop in weekly attendance of church and religious meetings that speak loudly of this change in thinking and ideology, despite most persons claiming to believe in religions by claiming to be a catholic and so on. The post–industrial societies are the most affected, and this is reflected throughout the United Kingdom as well (Wilson, 2017).
Some of the commonly observed trends are an increase in persons not attending church every Sunday. The clear decline of institutional religion is evident in the decreasing number of baptisms, marriages, and funerals held in churches or under religious rites. Religious symbols and institutions no longer enjoy the influence that they had in the pre-industrialization period. The respect accorded to a Man of God or the Church has seen a significant decline as education has progressed and intellectual thinking has gained ground (Seidman, 2017). Society has been separated from religion, with overt displays of religious beliefs being looked down upon (Beyer, 2013). However, personal religious beliefs continue to flourish, and that has helped religion to continue despite the significant drop in religious sentiment. This is primarily due to the deeper understanding accorded by science and the subsequent demystification of many traditional beliefs. Religious groups, too, have contributed to the decline of religion by increasing their involvement in the materialistic world, decreasing their concern with spiritual matters (Wilson, 2017).
Impact of Secularization
The growing secularization of the Nineteenth century saw a significant change in the shaping of both social and political policies (Martin, 2016). While political leaders attended religious ceremonies and continued to practice the religion diligently in their personal lives, Christianity no longer had any impact on either the political climate or the social fabric of Europe. The increasing irrelevance of religion and its influence on the lives of ordinary citizens marked the beginnings of secularism in the country (Wilson, 2017). While there continue to be many who oppose this spread of secularism, the supporters of secularization include eminent persons like the Dalai Lama. He feels that the path to true happiness is only possible through secularism and speaks of respecting all religions equally as the heart and soul of the movement. He speaks strongly on the cause and insists that secular feelings like love and compassion are distinct from personal religious beliefs. He feels that it is easy to foster universal brotherhood by allowing the two to be distinct.
The supply theory is perhaps the most prominent opposition to the secularism theory. It rebuts the view that secularism is responsible for the decline of religious beliefs. The theory put forth by Stark states that secularism has been a gradual change, and religious beliefs have not declined proportionately. Instead, public and overt display of religious beliefs has been replaced by a more subtle personal expression due to the changes brought about in society. Thus, it is institutional religion that has been impacted rather than religion per se (Davie, Heelas & Woodhead, 2017). Interestingly, he also states that the beliefs based on mysticism are the ones that have been replaced by a more moderate and realistic approach due to the changes in intellectual thought process and education across society. He further argues that this is a universal phenomenon, not limited to Christianity alone (Wolffe, 2017).
The Failure of Secularism
Stark attributes the failure of the secularization thesis to several reasons. He states that the decline of religious participation and beliefs is inaccurate because these beliefs continue to flourish even today, albeit in more moderate versions (Seidman, 2017). He argues that religious participation tends to fluctuate and is not a suitable measurement of the decline in religious sentiment. He also argues that overt display of religion, including attendance at religious meetings and institutions, should not be considered as a means to measure religious sentiment. In other words, not attending church is not a criterion for being branded as an atheist. He therefore feels that the supposed disagreement between scientific thought and religious beliefs is mere propaganda and has no basis in truth (Davie, Heelas & Woodhead, 2017). While there is no argument to the fact that the traditional theory of secularization is redundant in modern times and religion continues to flourish, the overt displays have become more subtle (Wolffe, 2017).
Steve Bruce, a professor of sociology, however, opposes this line of argument by Stark, who reflects on society due to the pre-industrialization period in England as proof that Stark’s arguments are incorrect and baseless (Ellis, Hoskin, Dutton & Nyborg, 2017). He feels that the decline of Christianity in Britain coincides with the industrial revolution and free thinking that came about as a result of education. Bruce feels that the decline in church membership and statistical projections support the death of Christianity in England going forward. He strongly believes that the supply theory is irrelevant in the face of such strong and well-established facts (Seidman, 2017). Sociologists who oppose the secularism theory strongly criticize its supporters, including Bruce and his arguments (Wolffe, 2017). They cite examples of new age spirituality. They think that Christian beliefs that have become redundant have been put aside, but religious sentiment continues to grow, as stated by Stark and others who support his theory. Many, like Peter Berge, have recanted their statements and shown agreement with the fact that religious sentiment continues to remain strong as ever despite the changes in overt display evidenced across industrialized societies (Seidman, 2017).
Conclusion
An assessment of the spirituality of modern-day Europe is not an easy task. Perhaps the primary reason for the conflicting ideology between secularists and religion arises from the fact that, as a general rule, activist secular groups are spawned by groups that express strong anti-religious beliefs and sentiments. However, it would be apt to state that secularism is the need of the hour in modern society (Wolffe, 2017). If secularism were to cease to exist, then free expression, education, and freedom itself would have to be sacrificed, as is evidenced in countries like Afghanistan and Iran, where religious beliefs dictate the moral, social, and political policies of the nation. Sociologists think that secularism may likely show a significant decline during the remainder of the twenty-first century. This global decline would reflect proportionately even in industrial societies across Europe, including the United Kingdom (Ellis, Hoskin, Dutton & Nyborg, 2017). Modernisation has been attributed to be the primary reason for the rise of secularization. Likewise, the emergence of modern science is often seen as a key factor driving the decline of religion. This myth has shaped the outlook and been a boost to the self-confidence of several generations of non-believers. The recent years have, however, witnessed an increase in skepticism towards the traditional secularization their, which has been evidenced by several sociologists.
References
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Ellis, L., Hoskin, A., Dutton, E., & Nyborg, H. (2017). The Future of Secularism: A Biologically Informed Theory Supplemented with Cross-Cultural Evidence. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 3(3), 224-242.
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