Animism secularism
The
animism secularism is one of the most unusual things since it involves the
moving away from a totally secular, materialistic way of life to a lifestyle
where spirits, ghosts as well as demons are seemingly linked to everything (King,
51)
In
understanding secularism, there is a belief that God either do not exist or is
completely unrelated to the world affairs. There is a division of the world
into two large parts including the supernatural and the natural. There is a
conviction that only natural powers that are analyzed empirically function in
the ordinary world. This world is a closed universe since there is faith that
natural powers function without interference from spiritual realms. Therefore,
secularists are absorbed by the material, seriously busy with the distractions
of the earth and concerned with their careers (King, 52). The Christians with
this belief show this thinking. They usually look for medicine as well as
therapy for their sickness without relying on doctors. This means that there is
no link between prayers and healing showing that God has little to do with the
lives of secularists at large. There is no relationship between science and religion
since the majority studies the science without the manifestation of the
Almighty God who created and sustained the world. This makes humanity
self-sufficient to handle life obstacles without the need for Almighty God. The
word of Jeremiah calls the secular individual to the dependence on the God the
creator (King, 55).
The
term animism involves the belief in souls as well as in a future state in
regulating deities and subordinate spirits. This leads to some form of active
worship where spiritual forces have authority over human affairs. Therefore,
humans need to discover the forces and beings that have control over them so
that to determine future actions as well as to manipulate their authority
continuously. Through this definition, there is the assumption that shows that
there is a relationship between the human and the divine, the irreligious and
the sanctified, the secular and the righteous (King, 57). There is a belief
that personal spiritual beings and forces of the impersonal spirit are everywhere
controlling everything happening in the world. Human beings with such
perspective use divination in determining powers impacting lives, so that they
can modify for their benefits. The quintessence of animism is power. This power
originates from the ancestors so as to control those of a pedigree. This power
also controls an evil eye to ruin a harvest, killing a newborn, earthly destiny
affected by the power of planet, human events controlled by the power of magic,
healing a child or making an individual wealthy using the powers of impersonal
forces. The animists believe that they live in an interconnected world whereby
they intimately directly linked with family members. This includes both the
living and those who have passed on to the realm of spirits. They are linked to
the world of spirits; the hesitant cavernous of ancestors, gods, spirits as
well as the ghosts that impact the way of living. The animists also feel that
there is a strong link with the natural world. The moon, planets and stars are
believed to affect earthly actions. There is a strong relationship between the
natural realm and human realm in the sense that practitioners define the future
and current actions through the analysis of what happens in animals. They also
do it through animal sacrificial and analyzing their stomach, livers, and
entrants (Puniyani, 24).
In
various ways, animism is opposite from secularism since the secularism
assumptions are questionable in a post-modern age where different ways of
animism are continuously becoming a feasible option (Puniyani, 26). Animist
belief that life is controlled by the powers of spirits, while the Secularist
belief that there is no spiritual power or the authority rarely intervenes in
the realms of nature. Those who believe in animism live with the fear of powers
of spirits whose actions must be defined and continuously manipulated while
secularists have a belief that they can control their courses through human
intervention. Animist tries to live in harmony believing that the powers and
forces of the universe are interconnected while the secularists manipulate
their universe using technology, as well as the science (Puniyani, 29).
There
are many similarities between secularism and animism. They are both
philosophies based on power whereby secularism belief in human power while
animism belief in the powers of spirits. The animism secularism is manipulative
whereby secularism uses technology to modify the environment and animism use
magic to modify the spiritual powers. They are both systems of amoral in that
secularists seek true reason to erect the logical fences of morality while
animism erect taboos so that to manage authority or believe that some forces
will make an individual to be responsible for the sins that were committed
earlier. They are also both adaptable to the flows and the ebbs of cultural
tides (Puniyani, 31)
Work Cited
King, Mike. Secularism:
The Hidden Origins of Disbelief. Cambridge: James Clarke & Co, 2007.
Print.
Puniyani, Ram. Communal
Threat to Secular Democracy. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2010. Print.
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