Secularism cannot cope with being wrong. Part 5

Secularism cannot cope with being wrong

Part 5: Our moral judgements are based on our value system, not on facts

This does not mean that our moral points of view are worthless – quite the contrary. Because they are not facts, to which we can demand universal acceptance, for only the ignorant and liars deny facts to be facts, instead we have to establish our morality on the values of our belief system. Which values do we regard as most precious, and how convincingly do we argue from those values to our commitments and actions? It is inescapably faith that we have to appeal to, in that we are relying on our belief systems. As the secularist has rejected the value of faith, they cannot appeal to this as the foundation for their own commitments, and so falsely claim that they are dealing in simple facts. The thought that they might be wrong is unbearable, for they have no sense of assurance to give meaning and value to their lives, and so must seek meaning and value through being – in their view – absolutely and objectively right in their commitments and actions.

This feeds their intrinsic totalitarianism, and this overflows into their lack of forgiveness. Of course, in the everyday round of life, they will accept that mistakes are made and forgiveness can be offered. However, on those issues around which modern ideologies have constructed a fashionable consensus, anyone who deviates from the perceived and imposed orthodoxy is suddenly beyond forgiveness. There can only be condemnation, and a witch-hunt mentality is imposed so that anyone not immediately repenting of their ignorance can be isolated and persecuted to destruction, while those who originally agreed with them are frightened into silence or even into joining in the condemnation. Thus, we have a society where there are a number of “unforgivable sins”, for modern secularists can neither find forgiveness for themselves – and so must stringently insist on the complete perfection of their views, and neither can they forgive those who challenge their views, for this would risk the entire edifice they have constructed coming crashing down once we raise the question that must always be suppressed by modern secularists: “But is what you’re saying actually true?”.