According to a recent survey conducted by Pew, 72% of individuals who identify themselves as religiously unaffiliated still believe in a higher power. Furthermore, about 20% of these individuals also believe in the God depicted in the Bible. In her 2020 book Strange Rites, Tara Isabella Burton examined how an “eclectic spiritual hunger” is expressed Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Christianity and secularism’
The Pakeha switch to the secular
Thursday, March 4th, 2021
What are the key markers of contemporary religious faith and practice in New Zealand? Unlike Germany, there is no state support for the churches here. Unlike the US, piety is not worn on one’s sleeve. Attend a funeral or a wedding in New Zealand these days and what springs to mind is the incredible variety Read more
Secular groups concerned about Biden religious rhetoric
Thursday, February 11th, 2021
Secular groups have praised some of the decisions Joe Biden has made. But, they are concerned the administration’s idea of interfaith outreach may tend to exclude nonbelievers. Non-religious groups have celebrated several of the new President’s actions. These include rescinding a ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military; rejoining the Paris climate accords; Read more
A pseudo-religion claim to neutrality deeply foolish
Monday, October 5th, 2020
ACT leader David Seymour argues that those who oppose the End of Life Choice Act are doing so purely on religious grounds. He is ignoring the repeated clarification that this is not the case. However, that being said, there is another more fundamental issue; Seymour appears to belong to what Professor Robert George calls a Read more
More non-believers that Christians in New Zealand
Thursday, September 26th, 2019
The number of people identifying with Christianity has dropped dramatically from 47.65 per cent in the 2013 census to 37.31 per cent in the latest one. The data from last year’s census, released this week, shows that 48.59 per cent of New Zealanders indicated ‘no religion’ in 2018, up from 41.92 per cent in the Read more
Parliamentary prayer: You say “yes” I say “no”
Thursday, September 12th, 2019
Speaker Trevor Mallard does not have any plans to revisit the parliamentary prayer, even though it was less popular among MPs and in public feedback than the previous one. The majority want change. It is just that they were split about what the change should be. Mallard appeared before the governance and administration select committee Read more
Secularism, pluralism: The Church’s role in modern Europe
Monday, July 8th, 2019
Belgian Cardinal, Jozef De Kesel discusses with “New Europe” the role of the Catholic Church in modern Europe. Today’s Europe, where pluralism and secularism have changed the dynamic between Europe’s citizens and their relationship with one of the continent’s oldest institutions. What do you think it means to be Catholic in Europe today? What are Read more
Making Christmas activities at school “biblical” out of line
Monday, December 10th, 2018
Katherine Hogg has no problem with Christmas activities in general at school, but she says making them biblical is “out of line . . . for a secular school.” Hogg kept her 7-year-old son home from school last week to avoid lessons about the Christian origins of Christmas. She said she was unhappy her son’s Read more
Churches turn to political barrow pushing to stay relevant
Thursday, September 6th, 2018Karl de Fresne provides examples of statements that strike him as evidence of the mainstream churches desperately searching for relevance in an increasingly secular world, and of deluding themselves that they will find it by pushing fashionable political barrows. Read more
Where are the world’s most committed Christians
Monday, August 27th, 2018
A newly published study by the Pew Research Center shows Christians in Africa and Latin America tend to pray more frequently, attend religious services more regularly and consider religion more important in their lives than Christians elsewhere in the world. But the United States also have comparatively high levels of committed Christians. The study analysed Read more