secularists
Faith-state dividers
Secularists advocate for the separation of religion from public affairs, particularly government and education.
The term ranges from neutral description to mild pejorative, depending on who's using it: Secularists argued against prayer in schools.
Some secularists are religious themselves but believe faith should remain private; others reject religion entirely.
Rejection of deities
- agnosticismDoubt about divine existence
- nonbeliefLack of religious faith
- godlessnessLack of belief
- disbeliefRejection of truth claims
apostasy · deconversion · unchurched · freethinker · nontheist · skeptic · rationalist · materialist
Basis or justification
- logicScience of valid reasoning
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- scienceSystematic study through observation
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
skepticism · critical thinking · inquiry · analysis · enlightenment · philosophy · freethought · objectivity
Study of right conduct
- dignityInnate personal worth
- equalitySame status for all
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
- civil rightsGuaranteed individual legal protections
social justice · pluralism · tolerance · compassion · empathy · democracy · progressivism · liberalism
Government religious neutrality doctrine
- disestablishmentWithdrawal of official status
- neutralityState of taking sides
- public sphereRealm of civic discourse
- civil societyNongovernmental organized citizenry
constitutional · pluralistic · nonpartisan · impartiality · First Amendment · civic · nonsectarian
atheism
Rejection of deities
- agnosticismDoubt about divine existence
- nonbeliefLack of religious faith
- godlessnessLack of belief
disbelief · apostasy · deconversion · unchurched · freethinker · nontheist · skeptic · rationalist · materialist · naturalist
reason
Basis or justification
- logicScience of valid reasoning
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- scienceSystematic study through observation
empiricism · skepticism · critical thinking · inquiry · analysis · enlightenment · philosophy · freethought · objectivity · deduction
ethics
Study of right conduct
- dignityInnate personal worth
- equalitySame status for all
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
civil rights · social justice · pluralism · tolerance · compassion · empathy · democracy · progressivism · liberalism · philanthropy
church-state separation
Government religious neutrality doctrine
- disestablishmentWithdrawal of official status
- neutralityState of taking sides
- public sphereRealm of civic discourse
civil society · constitutional · pluralistic · nonpartisan · impartiality · First Amendment · civic · nonsectarian
- freethinkersfreethinker, freethinkers, rationalist, rationalists, skeptic
- believersbeliever, believers, adherent, devotee, theist
- clubssports clubs, women's clubs, book club, chess club, book clubs
- Arab SpringTahrir Square, uprising, Mubarak, demonstrations, protesters
- nonbelieversatheist, atheists, agnostic, agnostics, nonbeliever
- Political Groupsfaction, Republican Party, caucus, Democratic Party, wing
seculariststheocrats
Rulers claiming divine authority
Islamists · ayatollahs · traditionalists · mullahs · clerics
secularistsreligionists
Followers of a faith
true believers · fundamentalists · ultra-Orthodox · zealots · evangelicals
secularism, secularist, secularised, secularise, secularises