For instance, black South Africans are often perceived as being very religious due to the high depictions of them in mass media with associations to Christian churches and Islam which has a major influence over parts of North Africa. I could not understand how an ostensibly loving, omnipotent, and benevolent god could send “his children” to burn in eternal fire and brimstone in Hell. This theory has in recent years been challenged by the desecularisation theories of various sociologists and philosophers. I realised that although they may have progressive aspects, the world’s major religious texts were written by men who did not have the kinds of knowledge that we have today and who to an extent had barbaric attitudes. Of course, I feel frustration, pique and even apoplexy every time I see “non-believers” being persecuted by the mass media, distrusted by the American electorate or being killed and punished in places where apostasy is a crime. God gave off the awful impression that he was a petty, little man making plots and schemes in the sky, enforcing his “love” on us and not only expecting, but demanding our eternal oleaginous and acquiescent love and submission in return. My teacher looked somewhat perplexed but responded “Well, if they do not follow Christ then they cannot go to heaven. tuc covid-19 resource center. He made this discovery at the age of 15. (eds. The third section analyses statistical data on the state of religion in South Africa, while the last section offers some concluding remarks on the relationship between modernisation and secularisation in South Africa thus far. Religion among black South Africans is a mix of pragmatism and spiritualism. Yes, I sang the songs, I even went to the Catholic church a handful of times, but I guess no one had told me that I was supposed to take this stuff seriously,” Thejane says. African Neo-Pentecostalism in the Face of Secularization: Problems and Possibilities, by Benno van den Toren Thinking about Discipleship in Changing Contexts: Perceptions of Church Leaders of an Episcopal Diocese in South Sudan , by Jacob Haasnoot ( pdf ) At that time, I thought that this may have been a progressive step, but now when I think about it it was regressive. During the country’s 2011 population census, the religious demographics of the country were not recorded as it was deemed irrelevant. US politics. Tebello Thejane is a black Atheist and member of “South African skeptics”. The traditional beliefs may have been frowned upon by the missionaries but they are still practiced widely. During the colonial era, a secular approach to state formation and administration applied in spite of the strong … As has often happened around the world, growing secularization affects attitudes toward family size and toward women’s roles. However there exists a tacit assumption that black South Africa is highly religious. Secularization definition, separation from religious or spiritual connection or influences:The secularization of America can be seen in politics, legal decisions, and educational institutions, as well as in the arts and the media. Tolerance, Secularization and Democratic Politics in South Asia. Change ), Win Gallup International Religiousity and Atheism index. You see heaven is for Christians, people who worship the Lord Jesus Christ.” I was shocked, angry, but I pushed on “So then they will go to hell?” He gave a poultry “yes” and continued the class unperturbed and ignorant to the fact that he had just set in motion the dismantling of my relationship with religion. My experience as a white middle class atheist has been a relatively easy one. Religious believers often sugar-coat the violent verses of their religion in order to make it appear as if the texts are peaceful but if we are honest with ourselves and understand the times during which those texts were written, those violent commands were indeed carried out. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Christianity has not replaced African spiritualism; it has influenced it, in the same way that African religion has influenced classic African churches such as Shembe, the ZCC, and the Apostolic churches. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. For instance religious fundamentalists particularly those who follow Christianity and Islam are convinced that they are going to spend all of eternity in heaven while people who follow other religions are headed for eternity in hell which to me is problematic. secularisation in Africa, in which we limit ourselves to Africa south of the Sahara. And if indeed he did have chosen people, wouldn’t those people  be living improved lives compared to people of other faiths? And I could not understand the admiration that many of my friends showed with their religion. Secularization in Africa: A Research Desideratum Herman Paul (h.j.paul@rug.nl) University of Groningen When, almost half a century ago, the Roman Catholic Secretariat for Non-Believers organized a conference on “secularization in Africa,” it did so at a time when secularization theory was the I was left disturbed after hearing of the views of many fundamentalist Christians and Muslims in particular towards Hindus and other non-Abrahamic religions which also led to me detesting organised religion. Hence, most people believe the growing rate of atheism should be synonymous with secularism so as to create a … Tolerance, Secularization and Democratic Politics in South Asia (Hardcover). The second section discusses the periods of anti-modernisation (1910–90) and modernisation (1990–2012) in South Africa. Though I was never really religious, I believed in God strongly. Thejane’s parents lapsed here as they never got round to having him baptized nor assigning him a Christian name. The secularisation theory of Max Weber states that modernisation inevitably leads to the decline of religion. What is the relationship between secularization and tolerance? Atheism is generally more castigated and lambasted in traditional black families, where Christianity often forms the backbone of the household and where children are expected to take up their parent’s faith. In South Africa, modernisation has led to the decline of religion in some communities and the rejuvenation of religion in others. Most Popular in South Africa. Minimally that means I have to provide a brief account of my A General Theory of Secularisation ( Martin 1978 ; Martin 1990 ; Martin 2002 ) and its subsequent extension in two books about Latin America, and some marginal extensions into Africa. The effect of modernisation on religion seems to depend on its interaction with a range of other social factors. Posted on April 12, 2016 by marknancarrow. This site uses cookies. You see, in order to be religious one must give up the most important human condition: our critical faculties. In response to the disciplinary issues and the incident, our school introduced a program whereby Islamic, Hindu and Christian religious leaders came to the school to speak to learners who belong to the respective faiths. ( Log Out /  Thus it shouldn’t surprise us that they are not as fervent in their beliefs as say, contemporary Muslims or Afrikaner Christians appear to be,” Thejane, says. I was sickened by the fact that many religious leaders use the money given to them by the public to live expensive lifestyles. In class that afternoon I stuck up my hand and asked my teacher the following question with the sincerity and naive innocence that only a child can have: “What happens to a muslim when they die? I suppose that if I had been born into a more rural part of South Africa or into more traditional Christian family my experience would have been vastly different. South Africa has a population of approximately 55 million people comprising of diverse culture, religion, origin, and languages. I was regularly told by people and even at times by my own school teachers that there is a link between religious people and higher levels of morality. I have been asked to restate my understanding of secularization based on my enquiries over nearly forty years, since I raised the issue in 1965. Africans or South Africans and Bantu-speaking people form the major part of the population (approximately 35 million). Hospitality in and beyond Religions and Politics, Australian Research Council ERA 2012 Journal List, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH PLUS), Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers, Web of Science/Arts and Humanities Citation Index®. The second section discusses the periods of anti-modernisation (1910–90) and modernisation (1990–2012) in South Africa. Despite secularism being fast growing, the views of those who remain irreligious are often not documented and as a result many people have developed stereotypes which associate high levels of religious adherence with certain ethnic groups. I would describe myself as an Agnostic Buddhist or Agnostic. South Africa today has a fertility rate just above replacement levels—higher than that of the U.S., but much lower than that of most African nations. ), The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought (Oxford e.a. I decided that there was no God, and if I was wrong, I would rather go to hell then grovel at the feet of this ethereal dictator. South Africa currently has more than 8,500 people hospitalized with COVID-19, surpassing the previous high of 8,300 recorded in August. Alexander Chow, School of Divinity, University of EdinburghEmma Wild-Wood, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Afe Adogame, Princeton Theological SeminaryBrian Stanley, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Kirsteen Murray, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Terry Barringer, Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, Cambridge, J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Trinity Theological Seminary, GhanaPaul Freston, Balsillie School of International Affairs and Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, CanadaSebastian Kim, Fuller Theological SeminaryPeter Phan, Georgetown University, USADana Robert, Boston University, USAHeather J. Sharkey, University of Pennsylvania, USAMarina Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong KongCorey Williams, Leiden University, The Netherlands. As a result the average South African atheist is “white, male, English-speaking, and educated.”. Atheism has spread its wings to touch every corner of the world not only the west but Asia and Africa, two of the most religious continents in the world. I could not fathom the idea of eternal punishment and condemnation for a non-believer. According to this logic, Adolf Hitler could experience eternity in heaven had he had a deathbed conversion while people who live righteous lives but follow other faiths through no fault of their own are headed for hell. However this assumption is, on the face of it, false, and the reality is much more nuanced than the stereotype would have one believe. If God was indeed loving as is often claimed, why would he watch as innocent people are murdered on a daily basis? By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. ‘This little light of mine’ must have been one of my favorites.” he recalls, “Fast forward a few years later in early high school, when I suddenly wake up to the realization that all my friends seem to be taking all this stuff seriously! My skepticism and critical views of organized religion grew after being exposed to the chauvinism that is encouraged by many religious leaders and which does exist amongst many religious people. I was once having a dialogue with a friend of mine who is a Pentecostal Christian preacher and he did admit to me that he feels that 50% of people who are part of his congregation attend due to the fear of hell. 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