Secularism Case

In the nineteenth century Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God (Chamberlain, "The political message of Nietzsche's 'God is dead'"). Since this time God seems to be a dirty word and modern people have become aware of a void at the heart of their culture. But yet, it is taught that talking about faith in schools, at work, or at many other public institutions is morally wrong. The secularists who perpetuate this argument do so from a moral logic that concludes that God cannot be proven, and allowing faith to be talked about in public institutions would be intolerant of differing religious views. Hence, allowing public displays of the Ten Commandments would create social friction and not allow America to function well in the world.

The Judeo-Christian roots of America are continuously being eroded by this world view. This is why it is taught in school that the Mayflower men and women - the first settlers of America - came to America for religious freedom, not as the primary sources say "... to create His kingdom on earth" (Johnson, 39)? George Washington's advise to government in the conclusion of his farewell address seems to all but ignore the Judeo-Christian roots of America: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.... And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion ... Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail to the exclusion of religious principle" (Taylor, "Judeo-Christian Roots of America's Founding Ideals and Documents")?

The consequences of this change of American ideas of religion in public have caused people to become aware of a void at the heart of their culture. The French existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80) called it "the God-shaped hole in human consciousness", where the divine had always been, but had disappeared, leaving an emptiness behind" (Armstrong, 199). Two historical areas are investigated to answer the question of what are the consequences of America's secular view of religion in public. The two areas of exploration are Europe during the Industrial Revolution and America during the 1960s, specifically, when comparing the literature of the European Industrial Revolution to the scientific and secular culture of the West. When examined one begins to understand the inadequacies of the often celebrated achievements of modern society that have pushed religion to the outskirts of public life and left people obscuredly afraid, with an elevated feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. Second, by recognizing the void left in many Europeans, and by acknowledging the scientific and secular culture given to America by Europe, the 1960s American youth revolt can be seen as a longing for a more religious life (Armstrong, 213).

By the end of the nineteenth century it was clear that the Industrial revolution created and entirely new society in Europe. The majority of the human population in Europe lived in cities, where workers of all sexes and ages no longer toiled in agriculture and cottage industries, but in factories. It was clear that the optimism that inspired G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy that "the rational alone is real", which means what is real can be explained in accordance with scientific knowledge (Turner, "Chapter LXV German Philosophy (Continued)") had given way to doubt and a general feeling of worry, discontent, or dissatisfaction. On one hand, Europe was confident. Many Europeans felt triumphant, had a sense of mastery as the industrial revolution brought some of them more wealth and power than at any other time in their histories. On the other hand, there was a characteristic feeling not of self but of isolation, which Charles Baudelaire wrote about in Les Fleurs du Mal (Thompson, 29), and the discontent of Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (Heath, 51). In short, people felt afraid. At the same time they celebrated the achievements of modern society, people experienced emptiness and craved