Are We ( US Nation/ World) Becoming More Secular or Religious?

1. Are We ( US Nation/ World)
Becoming More Secular or
Religious?

2. THE IDEA OF DE
SECULARIZATION IS WRONG
Peter Berger in his failure of the
secularization hypothesis argued that
most of the world is not secular rather
religious. The World was never Secular
and the ideas of DE secularization is
wrong.

3. PEOPLE AROUND THE
WORLD ARE BECOMNG
MORE RELIGIOUS
“The fact of the matter is that people around
the world, are becoming more religious, not
less religious. The more globalization begins to
deteriorate our national identities, the more
religious identities are beginning to step into
the vacuum, and become a greater force, in
how communities around the world are
identifying themselves”( Reza Aslan).

4. WHAT IS
SECULARISM?
Secular ( focus this world) is opposite to Sacred (
Focus other world).
 Secularism, also called Secularity, is the idea of
something being not religious or not connected to a
church. An example of this is the government, which is
independent of any religion in many states
 Secularism is an ideology that promotes the removal of
religion .Secular nations are those nations that forcibly
remove religious expression from the public Sphere.
 “Secularization is the process whereby political power
rests in the hands of nonreligious authorities.

5. INTERPRETATION OF
SECULARISM CAN BE
SUBJECTIVE
 In the west the secularism means that we are more pluralist,
regardless of our differences in religious identity, languages
and culture we live in peace and harmony, “pluralism means
and that’s why it’s not about tolerance, it’s about acceptance,
it’s about understanding that there are multifaceted ways of
being and believing and recognizing that there is value in all
of those different forms of beliefs and identity” (Reza).
 In fact, the interpretation of Secularism in other countries may
not be equivalent of American definition of secularism. If we
take the example of secularism in France/ Turkey, which was
used to remove religion in public sphere, punishing its citizen
who wear a headscarf or praying in public. The ideas were
taken from the false understanding that religiosity is opposite
of modernity.
 Example: Pakistanis liberals and Seculars ( known to be anti
religious).

6. IF WE ARE NOT
SECULAR THEN WHO
WE ARE?
 Pluralism: Not just tolerance but
acceptance of other religious ideologies.
 In order to maintain democracy: What is
necessary is a commitment to pluralism, a
commitment to equality of all religious
expressions and religious beliefs under the
law” (Reza).
 United States is not a secular country, on
the contrary it is profoundly religious,
devoutly religious country.
 In God We Trust: American Motto/
History

7. THE STATISTIC
ABOUT THE RISE
IN ATHEISM AND
AGNOSTICISM
According to a Gallup International
survey of more than 50,000 people in 57
countries, the number of individuals claiming
to be religious fell from 77% to 68% between
2005 and 2011, while those who self-
identified as atheist rose by 3% – bringing the
world’s estimated proportion of adamant
non-believers to 13%.

8. WAIT ……NOW I AM
LOST
 First we said that the world is not secular but the
fact of the matter is that people around the world,
are becoming more religious, not less religious
 Second we have seen a mass inclination towards
atheism and agnosticism.
 Then what is the reality?

9. RELIGIOUS CRISIS
 At the end of world war 2 Toynbee predicted that the greatest challenge of
21st century will be, What religion will be able to give humankind what it
needs in this new age?
 In 1940’s He suggested that Islam can do that , Islamic can be that religion
but the problem is Muslim themselves because many of them are defeated
people, they are people who have been colonized.
 One of the effect of colonialism and post colonialism is it cut us off from ours
roots.

10. THE HUMAN FITRAH IN THE QUR’AN
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere
to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people.
No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the
correct religion, but most of the people do not know.(30:30)

11.  In our heart we need to have a religious answer to the world we live in
that is satisfactory. In this world we need a religious conviction and
practice that fits the whole world.
 Believe in God is in our nature .If you don’t give them religion or take
it away they will find secular alternative to religion.
 Religious movement born every 12 hours mostly on social media, they
might die out in few days or few years. /Demand and supply
 Means: People wants this religious conviction, a truth that works for
them
HUMAN BEING IS A RELIGIOUS CREATURE

12. HUMANITARIAN
CRISIS; RISE OF
RELIGIOUSITY
 Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology says, “Humans
need comfort in the face of pain and suffering, and
many need to think that there’s something more after
this life, that they’re loved by an invisible being. There
will always be people who believe, and I wouldn’t be
surprised if they remain the majority.”
 Example: In 2011, for example, a massive earthquake
struck Christchurch, New Zealand – a highly secular
society. There was a sudden spike of religiosity in the
people who experienced that event.
 VS
 Japan, the UK, Canada, South Korea, the Netherlands, the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, France and Uruguay
report some of the lowest belief rates in the world. These
countries feature strong educational and social security
systems, low inequality and are all relatively wealthy.
 Blessing in disguise:

13. WHAT ARE THE
THOSE
OBSTACLES TO
SATISFY THAT
RELIGIOUS
NEED?
1. Crisis of Credibility “Pluralism”
Subjectively, the man in the street tends to
uncertain about religious matter. Objectively,
the man in the street is confronted with a wide
variety of religious and other reality defining
agencies . The pluralist society has its pros and
cons. People are more exposed to different
ideas and questioning their beliefs and
ideologies. Whereas in non-pluralist society
people take their faith, practices, and culture
for granted without questioning its validity.
2. The rise of extreme religious voices

14. THE RISE OF MOST EXTREME
RELIGIOUS VOICES
Belief vs Political Ideologies
1. Islam vs ISIS/ ISIL/ Daesh
2. Hinduism vs Hindutva
3. Buddhism vs Ma Bha Tha
Movement
4. Judaism vs Zionism

15. WHY PEOPLE JOIN VIOLENT EXTREME GROUP
PUSH FACTOR
1. Alienation, Isolation, Identity Questions
2. Feeling “in-group” is under attack
3. Feeling that larger powers are not doing
anything to stop this.
PULL FACTOR
1. Brotherhood/sisterhood and belonging
2. Spiritual purpose; making utopia
3. Empowerment; adventure,
humanitarian casue, you are hero!

16. JUDAISM VS ZIONISM

17. BUDDHISM VS MA BA THA

18. HINDUISM VS HINDUTVA (RSS)/
CURRENT INDIAN GOVERNMENT (MODI)

19. ISLAM VS ISIS/ISIL/DAESH

20.  Islamic Movement: Should identify what the problems are and then think
deeply how to solve them. (Do we know the rate of female prisoners are
increasing in prison)
 Teaching of Islam should not only limit to traditional Islamic knowledge
but also explore and give the meaning to astronomy, psychology,
sociology and economics according Islam
 Messenger before the message
 Darul Al-Shahada (Tariq Ramadan) Darul Hizmet (Syed Nursi)
 Community and Continuity
 Prioritizing our issues
WHAT WILL BE THE ROLE OF OUR MOVEMENT IN
CURRENT SCENARIO?

21. 1. What is the future of Islam in
West?
2. What should be the role of
American Muslims In this land?