Living the Secular Life_New Answers to Old Questions
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mortality, 4, 46–47, 169, 174, 180, 185, 193–94, 196–97. See also death; funerals; memorial services
mosques, 8, 32, 64, 97
motherhood, 46–48, 162
Mugabe, Robert, 52
Murakami, Haruki, 133
murder, 47–48, 50, 156, 163, 221
music, 100–102, 105, 107, 122–23, 132, 169–71, 202–4, 208
Muslims, 9–10, 64, 107, 214, 219
nationalism, 21
nations
religious, 42–48, 52, 54, 76, 213, 221
secular, 42–48, 53–54, 69, 76–77, 164, 221
Native Americans, 219
natural selection, 26–27
naturalistic worldview, 55–58, 108, 121, 129, 143, 179, 199, 212, 224
nature
awareness of, 115
concern for, 13
connection with, 212
majesty of, 4
our senses in, 211
as “religion,” 102
teaching about, 136
Naval Academy Agnostics, Freethinkers, and Atheists, 112–15
Nazis, 43, 148, 151–54
Nebraska, 177
Nelsen, Hart, 93
Nelson, John, 126
Netherlands, 46, 48, 59, 74–75
Neumark, Zenon, 148–56, 160
neuropsychology, 35–36, 212
New Hampshire, 49–50, 68
New Mexico, 181, 183
New York (State), 49
New York, New York, 89
New Zealand, 42, 46
Newcombe, Milton, 16–17
Newtown, Connecticut, 43–44
Nielsen, Kai, 15
Nietzsche, Friedrich, 147
Niger, 47
Nigeria, 46–47
Niose, David, 217–18
nonreligious
alienation/isolation of, 87–88, 115, 118, 167
definition of, 108–9
dislike/distrust of, 9–10, 44, 118–19, 219–20
groups formed for, 128
increasing numbers of, 59–61, 75–76
mischaracterizations of, 73–75
and overcoming difficulties, 140–47, 156, 161–63
See also secularism
North Carolina, 49
Norway, 42, 46, 48, 59, 180, 208
nothingness, 1–4, 62, 66, 223
Ohio, 107–8, 175
Oklahoma, 49, 108, 178
Olson, Amber, 141–48, 156, 160, 162
oppression, 45
Oregon, 49–50, 124, 190–92, 202
O’Reilly, Bill, 44
Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation, The (Ridley), 26
Paine, Thomas, 123
Pakistan, 46–47
Palumbo, Peter, 213
parenting, 1–3, 15, 30, 35–36, 50, 62, 78–106, 181–82. See also children
Pargament, Kenneth, 140, 163
Pasquale, Frank, 65, 124–28
pastors, 64, 71, 187, 222
Paul, Gregory S., 49
peace, 42, 45–48, 51, 90, 139, 146, 179, 198
pedophile priest scandal, 68–70
Perry, Rick, 112
Persia/Persians, 57, 198
Peru, 46
Pew Research Center, 119, 125
Pfefferkorn, Peter, 194–96
Philippines, 42, 46–47, 52
philosophy/philosophers, 37, 44, 52, 55–57, 72, 92, 109, 115, 129–31, 147, 197–98, 206–7, 214, 221
Pines, Walter, 174–77, 180, 193
Pinochet, Augusto, 52
Pitzer College, 204
Pledge of Allegiance, 214, 218
Pol Pot, 52
Poland, 148–55
politics, 52–54, 67–70, 72, 82, 128–29, 148, 208, 213–22
Portillo, Lupita and Juan, 181–85, 193
Portland, Oregon, 124, 190–92
poverty, 27, 36, 38, 42, 45–46, 50
Prager, Dennis, 43–44
prayer, 65, 78–80, 137, 167, 217, 224
banners for, 213
believing in, 142, 182
comfort through, 104, 138–39
at events, 61, 83
in the military, 110, 112–14
and moral dilemmas, 33
not believing in, 140, 155, 165, 175
in schools, 67
president, office of, 214, 217
priests, 55, 66, 68, 71. See also pedophile priest scandal
prisons/prisoners, 21–22, 140, 149, 154, 157, 159, 208
problem solving, 4, 95–96, 156, 165–67, 207
proselytizing, 87, 90, 114–15
Protagoras (Greek philosopher), 57
Protestants, 79, 94, 107
Provo, Utah, 141–42
psychology/psychologists, 26, 35–36, 65, 76, 93, 95, 125–28, 132, 140, 160–63, 173, 180, 212
public schools, 82–86, 87, 110–11, 142–43, 213, 222
Pullman, Philip, 133
Putnam, Robert, 60, 63
rabbis, 14, 55, 131
racism, 20–21, 118, 219
rationalists, 57, 63, 124, 207
Reagan, Ronald, 219
reason, 17, 76, 99, 108–9, 127, 129, 207, 222, 224
Red Hot Chili Peppers, 169, 171
Rediscovering God in America (Gingrich), 43
Reflections on the French Revolution (Burke), 44
Regnerus, Mark, 94
religion, 130
appreciation of, 222–23
and aweism, 210–11
as coping mechanism, 138–41, 145, 157–59, 161–63, 182
critiquing/debunking of, 57, 71, 88, 109, 116
downsides of, 218
and human condition, 73–77
importance of, 218, 223
and politics, 67–70
rejection of, 8, 29, 53–59, 62, 65–66, 69–71, 77, 128–29
as social glue, 125
and societal goodness, 42–44
widespread, 74–75, 109
Religion for Atheists (de Botton), 223
religious
bullying, 84–87, 90, 96, 114, 213, 219
congregations, 64, 83, 109, 117, 120–22, 134, 138–40, 181, 218, 223
conservatives, 43–44, 67–70, 92, 94, 207, 221
dogma, 127
fervor, 77, 90, 218
hegemony, 114
inquiry, 130
involvement, 2–3, 12, 58, 63–64, 69, 96, 102, 113, 120, 164
orientation, 5, 60
prophets, 57
tradition, 62–64, 70–71, 83, 96, 98, 189, 223
writings, 201
See also faith, religious; specific denominations
Renfro, Scott, 110–12
repression, 52–53, 153
Republican Party, 67–68, 214–15
responsibility, 7, 17, 24, 126, 145–46
Rhode Island, 49, 213
Ridley, Matt, 26
right and wrong, 17, 36, 90–92, 126
right-to-die issue, 190–93
Risskov, Quincy, 185–88, 193
rituals/traditions, 32, 54, 100–6, 116, 132, 148–49, 186–87, 224. See also specific types
Robertson, Pat, 67
Robinson, Robert, 94
Romans, ancient, 56–57
Romney, Mitt, 215
Rose, Ernestine, 75
Rubio, Marco, 215, 218–19
Rushdie, Salman, 92
Russell, Bertrand, 92
Russia/Russians, 46, 153–55, 188, 218
Saint Patrick’s Day, 103
San Jose, California, 181–83
Sandeen, Peg, 190–93
Sandy Cliffs, Colorado, 115–17
Santa Monica, California, 120–22, 127–28, 203
Santorum, Rick, 67, 112
Sarasota, Florida, 109
Sartre, Jean-Paul, 198
Satmar Hasidic Jewish community, 71
Save the Children Foundation, 47
Scalia, Antonin, 12
Scandinavia, 52, 69, 123
science, 4,
7, 11, 13, 57, 109, 115, 136, 143, 149, 179, 200, 206–7, 210, 220, 222
scientists, 26, 132, 178
Scientologists, 71, 107
Scotland, 76, 94
Seattle Atheists, 109
Seattle, Washington, 109, 141, 143
Secular Student Alliance, 111–12
Secular Studies program, 204
Secular Therapists of Chicago, 160–61
secularism
coining of term, 12–13
common traits/values of, 3–4, 6–8, 10, 122, 125, 127, 169, 185, 197, 208, 224
complexity of, 65, 77
critiques of, 51–54
dislike/distrust of, 9, 43–45, 219–20
downsides of, 167
and human condition, 76–77
important contributions of, 216, 220–22
increase in, 4–5, 30, 37, 43, 54–55, 58–61, 65–72, 75–76, 97, 128, 223–24
mischaracterizations of, 73–75
positive aspects of, 3–5, 8, 13, 88, 104, 106, 109, 224
prominence of, 55, 215–16
and religious family members, 115
rich history of, 55–58
See also nonreligious
secularization, 55, 58–61, 66, 72, 123
self-reliance, 6, 145, 156–57, 159, 161, 166–67, 175, 222, 224
Senegal, 46–47
separation of church and state, 52, 109, 112, 115, 121, 128, 177, 208, 217–19
sex
abuse, 68–70
crimes, 68–70, 140, 222
and disease, 48, 50
education, 52, 67, 87, 94
and rights for, 208
Sherkat, Darren, 95
Shook, John, 64
Sierra Leone, 46–47
Sikhs, 107
sin, 66, 70, 87, 91, 186
skeptics/skepticism, 9, 17, 55–58, 63, 71, 76–77, 99, 108, 124, 138, 197, 216
Skirbekk, Vegard, 58
Slovenia, 46, 59, 76
Smith, Christian, 73–74, 192
social
approval/disapproval, 91
connections, 126–28, 158, 161, 166–67, 221
harmony, 44–45
immersion, 125
order, 37, 44
problems, 43–44
stigmatization, 220
support, 24–25, 164, 166–67, 223
social science, 23, 34–37, 73
socialization, 15, 35–36, 98
societal
context, 38–43
degradation, 37, 51
depravity, 44
goodness/well-being, 4, 7, 41–54
progress, 51–53
solidarity, 125
sociology/sociologists, 35, 48, 67, 69, 73–74, 93–95, 105, 183, 192, 221
Socrates, 136
soldiers, 110–15, 141, 175. See also Holocaust; war
Solomon, Robert, 212
South Africans, 21, 52
South Carolina, 49–50, 108, 214
South Korea, 42, 46, 59
Soviet Union, 52. See also Russia/Russians
Spain, 52
Spiegel, James, 12
Spilka, Bernard, 20–21
spinal cord injury (SPI), 141–47, 161–62
spirituality, 32, 56, 59, 63, 103, 114, 129–30, 143, 158, 160–61, 165, 173, 179, 211–12, 216
Springsteen, Bruce, 100–2, 105
Stalin, Joseph, 52
Stanton, Gail, 156–60, 157
Starks, Brian, 94
stem cell research, 67
stereotypes, 9
Stewart, Jon, 66
suicide, 49, 144, 192
summer solstice, 103, 109
Sunday Assembly of Los Angeles, 122
supernatural beliefs, 7, 55–56, 63–64, 75–76, 90–91, 122, 125–26, 129, 131, 143, 161, 211, 216–17, 224
Sweden, 46, 48, 59, 69
synagogues, 8, 11, 64, 97, 148–49
Taiwan, 181
Tampa, Florida, 215
Taoism, 130
Taunton, Larry Alex, 44–45
teen pregnancy, 48, 50
temples, 8, 32
Tennessee, 49, 108, 214
terrorism, 21, 67, 221
Texas, 87, 108, 110–12, 157–58, 214
Thais, 189
Thales, 14
theism, 15, 44, 46–51, 57, 74, 76–77, 90, 204, 210, 220, 223
theology, 13
this-worldly, 4, 7, 13, 57, 62, 99–100, 102, 157, 169, 211–12, 222, 224
Thomas, Mandisa Lateefah, 117–19
Thompson, Martie, 162–63
Thomson, J. Anderson, 27
Time magazine, 5
Tocqueville, Alexis de, 44
Togo, 48
tolerance, 7, 10, 21, 207–8
torture, 21–22
totalitarianism, 52–53
transcendence, 3–4, 31, 62, 130, 147, 211–12
“Transcendence Without God” (Laden), 147
transformative experience, 100–2, 105
Trauma and Recovery (Herman), 163
Trinity College (Hartford, Conn.), 72
truth, 6, 23, 57, 95, 129, 147
Trzebiatowska, Marta, 75–76
Tucson, Arizona, 157
twelve-step programs, 158–59
Uganda, 46–47, 52
Unitarians, 82, 113, 115, 120–22, 124, 128, 133–34
United Kingdom, 22. See also Great Britain
United Nations, 41, 48
United States
Bill of Rights, 217
as “Christian nation,” 213
Congress, 190, 217–18
Constitution, 216–18
District Court, 213
founders of, 216–19
government, 216–19
homosexuality in, 70
increasing secularism in, 55, 60–61, 65–72
least religious areas of, 49–51, 54, 191
mental health in, 164
military of, 110–15, 220
most religious areas of, 49–51, 54, 119
national motto of, 218
religious faith in, 60, 213–19
rural communities in, 83, 87, 92
secularism prominent in, 215–16, 224
Senate, 217–18
Supreme Court, 190
and Treaty of Tripoli, 217–18
United States Religious Landscape Survey, 119
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 220
Universal Life Church, 186
universe, the, 57, 63, 143, 146–47, 200–1, 204, 206–7, 210–11
Uruguay, 59
Utah, 49
Utah Coalition of Reason, 49, 109
values, 44, 53, 72, 94, 96, 98–99, 115–16, 120–21, 132, 190, 208, 215–16, 220–21
Vardaman, Paula, 162–63
Vatican, 52
Venezuela, 46
Vermont, 49–50, 157, 191
Veterans of Foreign Wars, 220
Vienna, 153–55
Vietnam/Vietnamese, 21, 46, 189
violent crime, 22, 27–28, 36, 38, 41–44, 47–48, 50, 75, 221–22
Virginia, 108
Vision of Humanity, 47
Voas, David, 63
Volokh, Eugene, 9
Voltaire, 44
volunteering, 2, 22, 115, 117, 126
Wade, Nicholas, 76
Waller, James, 27
Wang Ch’ung, 56, 72
war, 21–22, 47, 67, 148, 154, 156, 163, 175, 209, 214, 218. See also Holocaust; soldiers
Warren, Rick, 222
Warsaw, Poland, 150–53, 155
Washington, George, 217
Washington State, 108–9, 141, 143, 191
Watts, Alan, 210
Web sites. See Internet
Webb, June and Jim, 116–17
Weber, Max, 55
weddings, 103, 132, 186
Weinstein, Mikey, 114
Weiss, Sonja, 16, 17–19, 91
Welborne, Paul, 114
Wells, Hilary, 160–61, 163
&n
bsp; Wilcox, Mildred, 177–80, 193
Winston, Hella, 71
Wisconsin, 23
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 206
Women
as churchgoers, 163
and equality, 22
groups of, 142, 167
in labor force, 69–70
in the military, 114
and presidential office, 9, 214
rights of, 46, 52, 208, 220
See also motherhood
Wood, Ralph, 20–21
worldview, 3–4, 7, 66, 88, 97–99, 108, 121, 125, 129, 180, 221–22
Wright, Richard, 119
Xunzi (Chinese philosopher), 56
Yemen, 47
Yom Kippur, 148–49
Zimbabwe, 42, 46–47, 52, 76