Introduction
Contemporary human society is decreasingly dependent on religion as a guiding principle, especially on their social and political fronts, as was the case some few centuries ago. Instead, humankind is increasingly putting science, technology, and rationalism at the center of their thought and decision-making processes. Throughout the late 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, the influence of religion declined significantly on the socio-political affairs of the planet. To that extent, the secularization theory as a philosophical school of thought has been largely manifest[1]. It details the departure of subsequent generations of people from the belief that divinity in its various forms constitutes an integral part of life. Instead, it furthers the opinion that advancements in years through various events, instances, and actions have led to diminished manifestations of spiritual power. Through the analysis of particular historical events, such as the collapse of the French monarchy, modernism, reduction in the papacy’s temporal power, and the emergence of the United States of America, there is a strong case for a waning religious influence on political and social issues despite the emergence and growth of radical Islamism and the spread of Sharia law, and the emergence and prevalence of religion-oriented cults.
Arguments for decreased religious influence
The collapse of the French monarchy
European monarchs had an intricate relationship with religious leaders in an arrangement that was strongest in France more than anywhere else on the continent. Religion validated ruling monarchs, and in exchange, these monarchs offered protection, power, and wealth to the vicars of the Church. France, in particular, enjoyed massive patronage, which went to even greater heights under the leadership of King Louis XV. However, the rise of Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Diderot challenged the notion of ‘rule by divinity’ and, instead, propagated the ideas of individual liberty, rationality, and secularism[2]. The consequence of this new school of thought was the emergence of ‘the Cult of Reason,’ a movement whose priority la in explaining life and its constituent components using logic. It was a complete rejection of religious faith.
Voltaire and other enlightenment thinkers successfully pushed for increased rationalism and logical thinking in French political and social affairs. Consequently, the power of the Church and religion to influence people was reduced significantly. The reduction of that influence resulted in an unintended consequence; a weakened monarchy. The secularization of France also had a direct impact on the monarchy’s finances. The Church had a monopoly on taxation, and the monarchy relied heavily on this revenue to fund their rule. With the weakening of the Church’s power, the monarchy was forced to look for alternative sources of revenue.
The loss led to a growing financial crisis for the monarchy, as the government had to borrow money from foreign countries to fund its operations. Such an economic crisis, combined with an increasing sense of resentment from the people towards the monarchy, resulted in a dramatic decline in the popularity of the monarchy. The final blow to the monarchy came with the storming of the Bastille in 1789[3]. The event marked the beginning of the French Revolution and signaled the end of the monarchy in France. The Revolution was fueled by a desire for freedom and autonomy from the Church and the monarchy, as well as dissatisfaction with the state of the economy. The Revolution ultimately overthrew the monarchy and established a more secular state.
Loss of Temporal Papal Power
The papacy has seen reduced influence in terms of the political power it wields over the centuries and shrinks from its position as the most powerful political figurehead in Europe during the 13th century through to the 18th century to be the religious symbol that it is today. The institution of the papacy is the single biggest manifestation of how powerful religion can get, especially considering the political power that the head of the Roman Catholic Church held during medieval times. In the medieval period, the churches and their leadership had significant political clout. The Pope’s representatives were permanent fixtures in different royal courts and came with massive influence[4]. Their word often represented the law, and as ambassadors of the most powerful man in Europe, they usually influenced important political decisions such as the determination of whether or not a country went to war, negotiated for marriages between the various royal families in Europe and, extreme cases, went as far as determining the tax laws and policies of some jurisdictions.
The process of secularization has significantly impacted the power of the temporal papacy or the secular authority of the papacy. This temporal authority was once held by the Catholic Church and was used to influence the political decisions of states and countries throughout Europe. The temporal papacy was a powerful force in the politics of the Middle Ages, and the Church was able to wield considerable influence over the political landscape of Europe. However, as secularization began to take hold in Europe, the papacy’s temporal authority gradually declined. With the rise of the scientific Revolution and the spread of secular values, people began questioning the Church’s authority and its role in political affairs. This led to a weakening of the temporal power of the papacy, as people started to rely more on rational thought and science rather than on the teachings of the Church.
While the papacy remains to be an important institution today, the level of influence that it has on a political context is significantly reduced. For instance, the current Pope, Francis I, exists largely as a symbol of peace, tolerance, and religious piety. Despite being a voice for issues like climate change and advocating for increased equality, there is little action that the papacy can do to realize its objectivities or implement any political or social goal. The only territory in which the papacy has absolute political power is within the walls of Vatican City. This is a departure from the times when the institution had significant political say over all of Europe and the dynasties and heritages that ruled the countries of that continent.
The Emergence of America
The United States of America is a country of many firsts. For this particular context, the paper focuses on the country’s independent constitution, which was the first to separate the state from religion actively. As a country of pilgrims, the USA’s founding fathers understood what the intermingling of religion and state could do to a society, having witnessed it on various levels from the experiences of Europe. In many ways, the emergence of the United States was a manifestation of secularization and a marked decrease in religion’s power over its residents’ political and social lives. Without state-backing, religious organizations had little power to coerce, force, or cajole people into political, social, and economic decisions.
The First Amendment gives all Americans the right to choose a religious inclination of their choice and, in so doing, are free to deny religion and its various forms altogether[5]. The development of human freedom in decision-making is an active deterrent to the growth of religious belief and as earlier evident from the case of the French Revolution, increasing the freedom of thought and expressing opinions is one way of reducing the impact of religion and the reliance of faith in people’s lives.
The freedom that comes with the separation from Church and state allows for the development and propagation of new ideas, a phenomenon that ah continued to contribute towards a further reduction in the influence of churches and other religious institutions. Even with its relegation to a moral advisor of sorts, the continued exchange of ideas has diminished this power since its place as the custodian of morality and ethics in society is increasingly coming under significant threat. In contemporary society, there are many issues on which the Church has a stance and in which its stance is losing, indicating that people are less inclined to agree with religion, even on moral issues and its components. This reality implies that the influence that religion wields today is almost non-existent. This is especially true for abortion, LGBTQ rights, and divorce. Religion has been unable to shape debate or policy that benefits its stance. Without access to state and political power, its capacity to make much of a change has significant limitations.
Modernization and Rationalism
The rise of secularization has allowed for a greater focus on the individual and a shift away from traditional religious beliefs and practices. That rise has enabled people to make decisions based on rational thought and logic rather than religious teachings. The emergence of modernity and secularization has also seen the rise of humanism and utilitarianism as the basis of decision-making[6]. Humanism is a philosophical system that places the individual at the center of society and emphasizes the capacity of humans to shape their destinies. It is based on the belief that humans have the power to determine their own lives and that the ultimate goal is to find and maintain a sense of well-being. Utilitarianism is similar in that it also focuses on the individual and seeks to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. It is based on the utilitarian principle of “the greatest good for the greatest number,” meaning that decisions should be made to achieve the most beneficial outcome for the greatest number of people[7].
These two philosophies have been influential in the modern secularization of society. By placing the individual at the center of decision-making, they have removed the need for religious authority to dictate the course of action. The approach has allowed for greater freedom of thought and expression and has enabled people to make decisions based on their values and beliefs. In addition, utilitarianism has helped shape how people view the world and interact with it by advocating for the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Religious influence on socio-political aspects of society has been decreasing due to secularization and modernization.
Consequently, humanism and utilitarianism have emerged as the basis of decision-making, enabling people to make decisions based on rational thought and individual values. These two philosophies have been influential in the modern secularization of society and have helped shape how people interact with the world. As these processes continue to take hold, religious influence on the socio-political aspects of society will likely continue to decrease.
Arguments against the reduction of religious influence
Muslim Nations
For the most part, the modern world has been largely driven based on reason and logic. However, some organizations, people, and jurisdictions exclusively use religious dogma as the basis of their political, social, and economical operations. The Middle East is an example of a region where religious influence remains powerful and determines its political, social, and economic issues. Most Arabian nations operate either exclusively under sharia law or have large sections of the constitutions, laws, and practices that are largely drawn from the Quran, Islam’s holy book, and other religious tenets of the Islamic faith[8].
In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, political institutions, to an extent, derive their legitimacy from the writings of Prophet Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic religion. Also, social practices such as widespread gender discrimination and inequality and the worship and service of Allah as both religious and civic responsibilities come from Islamic religious dictates. That, in addition to state approval of social issues such as child marriages and the Kafala, a semi-slavery system, is indicative of how much influence the religion retains in the region’s exercise of social and political power.
Cults and brainwashing activities
The American people and the world are painfully familiar with religious cults, often given the definition of a systemic religious veneration or devotion intended for a particular person or object. The emergence and development of multiple religious cults show that while a significant number of people today view religion through the lens of rationality and moderation, there is another significant minority over whom religion exercises complete influence. While cults are far from conventional religion, their leaders and figureheads often successfully employ religion as a conduit for indoctrination. From that point onwards, the believers are effectively the social, political, and economic property of whoever indoctrinates them.
In the United States, for example, there has been a dark history associated with occultism and the influence of such cult leaders on their membership. Some famous cult-linked incidences include The People’s Temple, Branch Davidians[9], and The Angels Flight. In all these three cases, the actions of a cult leader were questionable at best and bizarre at worst, yet, their believers still followed such commands, often with fatal consequences. Each of these three cases ended with the loss of multiple lives due to the congregants committing suicide after getting orders from their ‘spiritual leader.’
Conclusion
Religion’s power over political and social issues is insignificant compared to the level of say that religion had on politics and social lives over different peoples and jurisdictions five hundred years ago. The emergence and rise of reasoning and thought as a basis of operation has legitimately challenged the place of religion in human society. There is an increased need among people to seek answers on key issues, which is detrimental to religion, which often espouses faith as an essential component of life and fails to provide adequate explanations for phenomena surrounding it. However, there are regions, places, and forms in which religion still holds power and influence over various political and social aspects of human life. In the Muslim world, the word of Allah reigns supreme and is a determinant of the social, political, and economic paths that various countries take in service of their people. Multiple infamous and unpopular cults also provide meaningful examples of how people could harness religious dogma to exert their unique political and social influence over others.
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[1] (Enrit 2018)
[2] ( Brill’s Companion to Camus, 2019)
[3] (Jankowski 2022)
[4] (Nederman 2020)
[5] (Witte 2022)
[6] (Rzepa 2021)
[7] (Scarre 2020)
[8] (Tripp 2018)
[9] (Robbins 2018)
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