Living the Secular Life_New Answers to Old Questions

by Phil Zuckerman

  As an ethnographer: Pasquale (2010, 2007a).

  Psychological studies back this up: Saroglou, (2010); Farias and Lalljee (2008).

  And a recent Pew study: “‘Nones’ on the Rise,” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, October 9, 2012, pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise.

  Other scholars agree with this assessment: Nelson (2012), 55.

  Georgetown University professor Jacques Berlinerblau: Berlinerblau (2012), 113; see also Bainbridge (2005).

  Some of the key differences: Caldwell-Harris (2012).

  “less in need of social support”: Ibid., 17.

  If secularism is to be understood: See Kurtz (1994) for further elaboration.

  the proclamation of the Ethical Culture movement: Quoted in McGowan, ed. (2007), 255.

  “There is no Eastern solution”: Hitchens (2007).

  Chapter 6: Trying Times

  Given these undeniably comforting aspects: See, for example, Krause et al. (2001).

  For example, numerous studies have shown: Myers (1992).

  it can help parents cope: McIntosh, Silver, and Wortman (1993).

  it can help people seeking: Zemore and Kastukas (2004).

  it can help people deal with chronic illness: Mattlin, Wethington, and Kessler (1990).

  and pain: Hayden (1991).

  it can help people cope with cancer: Gall, de Renart, and Boonstra (2000).

  it can help comfort refugees: Ai et al. (2005).

  it can help the victims: Kennedy, Davis, and Taylor (1998).

  and in still more ways: See, for example, Pargament (1997).

  leading psychologist of religion Ralph Hood: Hood, Hill, and Spilka (2009), 461.

  As the leading expert on religious coping: Pargament (1997), 301.

  In the absence of God: Laden (2007), 132.

  Just another day in the Tomaszów ghetto: Neumark (2006).

  So what do secular people do: Hilary Wells isn’t the only therapist out there to emphasize secularity in her practice. Hans Hils of North Carolina has spearheaded seculartherapy.org, which went live in 2012; as of last count, they had 112 registered therapists from all over the country, with over 1,300 clients (Ray, 2013).

  In her pioneering research: Hwang (2008).

  Rather than questioning the “meaning”: Ibid.

  Other studies bolster Dr. Hwang’s assertions: Thompson and Vardaman (1997).

  And Kenneth Pargament found: Pargament et al. (1994).

  And as Judith Herman argues: Herman (1997), 51.

  Luke Galen is a professor of psychology: Galen (2009).

  When I asked Professor Galen: McCullough and Smith (2003); Brown (1994).

  Chapter 7: Don’t Fear the Reaper

  Although the phenomenon is most likely explained: McGowan (2013); Woerlee (2004).

  much has been made of near-death experiences: Rivas (2003).

  Many people have spoken of: See, for example, Sabom (1998).

  And while her reluctance to embrace: Croog and Levine (1972).

  And related studies indicate: See Beit-Hallahmi and Argyle (1997), 196.

  psychologists Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi: Ibid., 193.

  But not everyone buys it: Inglehart et al. (2004), 338.

  In fact, approximately 25 percent of Americans: Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, “Summary of Key Findings,” religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-key-findings.pdf.

  And we are seeing that more and more Americans: American Religious Identification Survey (2008), commons.trincoll.edu/aris/publications/2008-2; Kosmin and Keysar (2009).

  For instance, in Oregon, about 40 percent: Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, religions.pewforum.org; Kosmin et al. (2009); Joseph Carroll, “Public Divided over Moral Acceptability of DoctorAssisted Suicide,” Gallup, May 31, 2007, gallup.com/poll/27727/public-divided-over-moral-acceptability-doctorassisted-suicide.asp.

  And according to a recent census study: Jahnabi Barooah, “Most and Least Christian Cities in America,” Huffington Post, October 8, 2012, huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/most-and-least-christian-cities_n_1915050.html.

  Indeed, according to the research: Hamil-Luker and Smith (1998); see also Burdette, Hill, and Moulton (2005).

  As Dan Barker, a onetime Christian preacher: Barker (2008), 343.

  Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: Sartre, Being and Nothingness.

  Similar sentiments were expressed by: Heidegger, Being and Time.

  Chapter 8: Aweism

  “Humanity’s destiny”: Comte-Sponville (2006), 72.

  it is essentially a term of negation: Eller (2010).

  In the words of Julian Baggini: Baggini (2003), 4.

  Maybe there is a God: See also Le Poidevin (2010), 2.

  This form of agnosticism professes: Quoted in Wakefield (1951), 274.

  Or in the words of philosopher Eric Maisel: Maisel (2009), 4.

  For as Ludwig Wittgenstein put forth: Wittgenstein (1922), sect. 6.44–6.45.

  An aweist agrees with the sentiments: Hecht (2003), xiii.

  An aweist harkens to the words of Albert Einstein: Quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007), 387.

  As American philosopher Louise Antony explains: Antony (2007), xiii; see also Laden (2007).

  After Charles Darwin lost his Christian faith: Quoted in Hitchens, ed. (2007), 96.

  Joseph Conrad spoke of living: Quoted in Hitchens, ed. (2007), 123.

  French philosopher André Comte-Sponville: Comte-Sponville (2006), 145.

  But while such a reality can often inspire: Ibid., 150.

  as American atheist Sam Harris further expresses: Harris (2004), 227.

  It is akin to what philosopher Robert Solomon dubs: Solomon (2002), xvi.

  “We have to admire in humility”: Quoted in Hitchens, ed. (2007), 163.

  Conclusion

  A clear majority of Americans: Straughn and Feld (2010).

  Indeed, the current state constitutions: Heiner (1992); West (2006).

  the first President Bush’s position: Quoted in Heiner (1992), 6.

  Many Americans clearly agree: Hunter (1990).

  As we have seen, more Americans: Jones (2012).

  the second President Bush: Bush on Jesus: Stephen Buttry, “Candidates Focus on Christian Beliefs,” Des Moines Register, December 15, 1999, archives.cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/15/religion.register;Bush on God and Iraq: “Robert Scheer, “With God on His Side,” Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2004, available at commondreams.org/views04/0420-01.htm.

  the statistics are surprisingly clear: Of course, not all Americans who claim to be nonreligious are atheists or agnostics. As discussed in chapter 2, secularity comes in a variety of shades; the continuum is broad, and not every nonreligious person is a nonbeliever. But a very significant proportion is nonbelieving; about half of all Americans who are nonreligious are atheist or agnostic in orientation. For details, see the American Religious Identification Survey (2008), commons.trincoll.edu/aris/publications/2008-2.

  What unites us as Americans: Jacoby (2004).

  After all, the brilliant founders of this nation: Niose (2012).

  as David Niose, recent past president: Ibid., 54.

  As President Ulysses Grant declared: Quoted in Berlinerblau (2012), 85.

  Or as President Ronald Reagan declared: Quoted at “Ronald Reagan on Separation of Church and State,” Atheist Revolution, atheistrev.com/2012/03/ronald-reagan-on-separation-of-church.html.

  what political, Jeffersonian secularism is all about: Berlinerblau (2012).

  But achieving such a state of affairs: Ibid., 89.

  we aren’t even allowed in the Boy Scouts: Hammer et al. (2012).

  Atheists are often accused of striking an indignant tone: “The God Debate,” Newsweek, April 9, 2007, web.archive.org/web/20100328002309/http://www.newsweek.com/i
d/35784/page/1.

  Thus while I deeply admired him: Hitchens (2007).

  Alain de Botton recognized: de Botton (2012).

  As social psychologist Bob Altemeyer: Altemeyer (2010).

  Clearly, countless people find religion attractive: McGowan, ed. (2007).

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