Extremist Secularist

I am fed up with seeing oxymoronic terms such as extremist secularist employed by reactionary clergymen and conservative social commentators when issuing ex cathedra monologues against Humanists. A discussion paper produced by an Anglican vicar from Middlesbrough and titled “Faith for our Children’s Future” is doing the rounds at the RE advisory council meetings in the north of England. It begins “The relentless attacks on Faith Schools by aggressive secularists in the media….”. It goes on to say that “It is only really Christianity that can provide the social glue to hold our society together.”
This kind of thinking is constantly repeated in the media with "secularism" as the bogeyman. There is even a blog produced by someone in Hull called “Bashing Secularism”. What about all of the non-religious activities that help bind society together, such as sports or membership of social clubs. Just try to think of all the activities you could engage in with other people that build “community cohesion” in a way far better than any sectarian religious club ruled by the dictates of bronze age if not antediluvian tribes. We need to promote an interlocking and inclusive community of individuals with a plurality of beliefs, religious or otherwise. The word “secularism” is often used interchangeably with Humanism and Atheism. I think that this is unhelpful. The term was first used by the great Victorian Humanist George Jacob Holyoake to denote the idea that the social order should be developed separate from religion without actually criticising or dismissing religious belief. These ideas had their origin in ancient Greece and were promoted under Islam by Ibn Rushd (Averroes) who is sometimes called “the father of secular thought in Western Europe”. Atatürk’s Turkey, France and the United States are examples of officially secular countries. Ok, so there are some atheist polemicists out there who don’t suffer fools gladly. Sticks and stones may break your bones. Nobody should have the right not to be offended by ideas. Secularism is not the enemy of religion. It is the only thing that protects the freedoms of everyone from the tyranny of monocultural theocracy. Secularism lies at the heart of the modern conception of liberal democracy. To end with the words of Holyoake:

"Secularism is not an argument against Christianity, it is one independent of it. It does not question the pretensions of Christianity; it advances others. Secularism does not say there is no light or guidance elsewhere, but maintains that there is light and guidance in secular truth, whose conditions and sanctions exist independently, and act forever. Secular knowledge is manifestly that kind of knowledge which is founded in this life, which relates to the conduct of this life, conduces to the welfare of this life, and is capable of being tested by the experience of this life."