The secularization of western Europe has led many to believe Durkheim, among other notable scholars, were correct in their prediction that the religions of the past will decay. The rise of science, globalization, and new forms of religion have made traditional religions less popular. This is seen very obviously in the Pew Research- Religion and Public Life graph attached, where nearly all religions saw a decline in participation while the “unaffiliated” category grew remarkably. “The recent decrease in religious beliefs and behaviors is largely attributable to the “nones” – the growing minority of Americans, particularly in the Millennial generation, who say they do not belong to any organized faith” (Pew Research). Looking back at Durkheim’s work, this information leads us to wonder what will become of social solidarity, that is, what will hold society together? Modern day examples of secularization are seen clearly here in the United States as the country moves away from Christianity and with France’s implementation of Laïcité.
America has been a Christian nation for many years, resulting in laws and policies heavily based in the faith. However, with the less religious millennial generation gaining more ground in the political realm, the impact of religion in daily life is decreasing. College campuses, full of diversity, are a great place to observe the impacts of secularization. In March of 2013, a story from John Hopkins University came out about the school’s Student Government Association (SGA) denying a group called Voice for Life (VFL) the status of a legitimate student organization because it engaged in “sidewalk counseling” outside of clinics and was guilty of harassment. One SGA member said that pro-life demonstrations made her feel “personally violated, targeted and attacked at a place where we previously felt safe and free to live our lives.” However, not long after VFL was denied official status, John Hopkins University administration eventually agreed with VFL saying their actions were protected under freedom of speech. In this case, the clash between pro-life and pro-choice students escalated into a more official stance, however similar conflicts of ideologies are more common than ever as diverse religions become the norm. Another factor that has contributed to the decrease in Christianity is the immigration of non-religious people and the expansion of media connecting people across the world. With 27% (MPI) of U.S. immigrants being Asian, but 21% (PEW) of Asian people considered ‘unaffiliated,’ it’s easy to see how as the population of non-religious people increases, the population of Christian people will inherently decrease.
Since 1905, the implementation of Laïcité has kept religions of French people out of the public eye and government policy. Although seemingly simple, the struggles faced by the large Muslim population says otherwise of France’s egalitarian culture. France is arguably a more diverse ‘melting-pot’ of religions and ethnicities than the United States, yet France’s government sees this as “divisive” (Giry). On paper, the secularization of religion and state makes sense, yet it proves to be much more problematic for the assimilation of Muslim people, whose religion is fundamentally public (head scarves, burqa, etc.). Laïcité requires Muslim people to give up so much more in their practice than other religions, and in turn creates tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim people. Dismissing the differences among people has not proved to make the nation more homogenous in nature, but instead has led to anti-Islamic sentiment, suggesting that solidarity does in fact lie within religion. Laïcité has lead many muslim people to feel unaccepted in their home country, unable to work while practicing their religion, and it has left people to consider leaving the country. An interview on NPR between Muslim French women concluded when she was asked if she saw a future in France and she replied, “No. I can't because I don't want to stay home. I want to work, but in France they won't accept me. So, what other choice do I have? I must leave. I want to go to England maybe or even America or – whatever they accept me.” Straying from its original intent, Laïcité appears to now inadvertently target Muslim people and create divisive social constraints.
In both cases, religion is seen decreasing in advanced societies that allow for upward mobility and have “strong social safety nets” (Humanist). In poorer countries where advancement isn’t as common, more people rely on religion for comfort and this is seen in the percentage of people claiming religion is “very important in their lives.” Ethiopia’s results show that 98% of people believe religion to be very important in their lives, yet the nation’s GDP per capita in 2015 was well under $10,000 (Pew Research). “More religious nations have more indicators of social disharmony, with lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher murder rates, more corruption, and a higher number of abortions. They also scored worse on the Global Peace index, that is, they are less peaceful both internally and in their external relations. What’s more, the research shows that nations with high levels of belief in God, Hell and the Devil (‘passionate dualism’) have higher murder rates” (Rees). We are left to wonder: does this mean that religion maintains social solidarity when no other means (social safety nets) are present?
After careful analysis of these sources and Durkheim’s theories, it seems that religion can bind society together when people need it to. In more developed countries, like the United States, people feel a sense of social solidarity through numerous different mediums. Sports, schools, and jobs all provide community for people who share similar interests to connect with one another and therefore the need for religion decreases. “The former gods are growing old or dying, and others have not been born,” and people living in more advanced societies are no longer able to relate to the religions of the past (Durkheim p.429). In lesser developed nations, such as Ethiopia, many people do not attend school or play an organized sport. Religion provides structure for people who otherwise wouldn’t have a community to feel a part of. The lack of science in developing nations maintains the relevance of religious thought, whereas in developed nations, science is regarded as more critical, keeping passions and prejudices at bay. It seems that either religion or science holds precedent in a nation, and the nation’s development level determines which one. Durkheim, at first supporting my initial statement, writes, “scientific thought is only a more perfected form of religious thought… religion should lose ground as science becomes better at performing its task” but later refutes this statement by claiming science is not enough because it is incomplete and speculation that cannot be properly scientific is still required (Durkheim p. 431). From Durkheim’s perspective, it seems that both religion and science are required for solidarity to be felt in society. Through my analysis of the United States and France we can see how forced or unbalanced secularization can be detrimental to the solidarity in society. Time will tell if religious diversity or the lack thereof will strengthen the bonds that hold people together.
Citations
Cornish, Audie. “French Law 'Laicite' Restricts Muslim Religious Expression.” NPR. NPR, 04 Mar. 2015. Web. 10. Jul. 2017.
Durkheim, Èmile. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. Mansfield Centre, CT: Martino, 2012. Print.
“Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States.” Migrationpolicy.org. Migration Policy Institute, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 14 Jul. 2017.
Gao, George. “Generally, Poorer Nations Tend to Be Religious; Wealthy Less So, except for U.S.” Pew Research Center. N.p., 21 Dec. 2015. Web. 13 Jul. 2017.
Giry, Stéphanie. “France and Its Muslims.” Foreign Affairs. Council on Foreign Relations, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 11 Jul. 2017.
Miller, Merrill. “Why Are the Poor More Religious?” TheHumanist.com. N.p., 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 14 Jul. 2017.
Rees, Tom. “Research Shows Link between Poverty Gap and Religious Belief.” British Humanist Association. N.p., 28 July 2009. Web. 16 Jul. 2017.
Wormald, Benjamin. “U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious.” Religion and Public Life Project. Pew Research Center, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 14 Jul. 2017.
“Pro-Life Victory at Johns Hopkins!” Students for Life. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Jul. 2017.