7. Secularism
The teacher can ask the students how they define secularism, and to quote some examples.
“Secularism is the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries. It ensures religious groups do not interfere in affairs of state, and the state does not interfere in religious affairs” (What is Secularism?).
In some countries, such as Pakistan, Iran, or Saudi Arabia, there is a state religion. It means that the government follows the state religion. But in secular countries, the government and the religion are separate. For instance, in the U.S there is a law that stipulates this separation – anyone can choose to practice or not any religion, and the government cannot do anything about it.
Today, modern Western societies are generally recognised as secular. People can generally believe in any religion they want, with little or no legal and social sanction, and religion does not dictate political decisions. However, countries can be more or less secular – what we define as “hard secularism” and “soft secularism”.
The teacher can use two examples already quoted earlier in the “Religion and Politics” section. Indeed, we can take the example of the UK; an example of soft secularism. In the United Kingdom there are two official states recognised by the Christian denominations: the Church of England and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Queen/King is both head of state and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. There are also 26 unelected bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords: those bishops obviously influence laws that affect the whole country. On the contrary, the system in a country like France is quite different and is closer to hard secularism. France is an averagely religious country but has been a non-religious state since 1905, when the Law on the Separation of the Church and State came into effect. This text is not against religion, but it ensures that all religions are confined to the private sphere and do not interact with strictly political matters.
Secularism is important since it brings tolerance in social and cultural society. By tolerating different views of religion separate from the state (and not imposing a single one), a country can ensure a pluralistic, tolerant, and successful society.
The teacher can use a 4 minute video (in English) which explains in some detail the definition of secularism and what it implies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9A36DV_nwk