5. The case against secularism
Arguments against secularism come from both defensive and offensive positions and vary accordingly. ‘The case against secularism’ considers some of the opponents to secularism, including theocracies, Islamic states, states with established churches, and Communist states. Opponents of secularism in the age when it was hypothetical made arguments to defend the religious status quo. Many of these are still used today. Since the institution of secularism as a state system, new arguments have come from secularism’s critics and these have a different character, targeted as they are at an ideology in power. It adds further complexity that many critics of secularism seek to modify its content and change its definition rather than to oppose it completely.