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PhilosophyandCanonLawvol.2(2016),pp.9-19
PavolDancák
UniversityofPreżov,SlovakRepublic
ChristianThinkinginSecularContext
Abstract:Therevivalofreligiousthinkingdoesnotamounttoasimplereproductionofwhat
precededsecularism.Itratherconstitutesareferencetoanauthenticreflectiononwhatcaused
thelaymovementsinsociety.Wecansayitistimetotryanew.Inthismanner,wecantreatit
asanopportunity,althoughadmittedlyinaveryunstablesituation.
Keywords:humanbeing,Christianity,secularism,theimageofGod
ItisimpossibletoimagineEuropewithoutChristianity,churches,Christian
crossesscatteredalongtheroads,hospitals,humanrights,solidarity,andcare
fortheweakestamongus.Itisevidentthatcivilizationandculturehavebeen
inspiredbytranscendencetowardsthedivine.Despitethat,Europewitnessed
theprocessofsecularization,whichstartedinthemid-twentiethcenturyand
workedtowardspushingGodandChristianityoutofallareasofhumanlifein
allwayspossible.Thisprocessstrivedforatheistsecularizm,whichinvolves
acompleteandutterexclusionofGodandthenaturalmoralorderfromallareasof
humanlife.Christianreligionhasbeencontinuallyandwithevengreatervigor
andsubtletyrestrictedtotheprivatelivesofindividuals.Suchtendenciescanbe
seenintheCharterofFundamentalRightsoftheEuropeanUnion,whosecrea-
tors,irregardlessofhistoricalreality,avoidedanyreferencetoGodorreligion.
Manypeopledidnottheoreticallyjustifytheirsecularstance,buttheylived
asiftherewerenoGod.SomepeopleopenlyrejectedChristianityandothers,
inlargernumbers,practicedtheirfaithinGodonlyformally.Theconceptof
Godwasdistortedinsomanydifferentways,oftentimesbyChristiansthem-
selves.Insomeinstances,wehavetoagreewiththosewhocriticizedChristians
forcreatingGodintheirownhumanimage.Oftentimes,Godwaspresented
notasalovingfatherandahealerofbodyandsoul,butasastrictjudgeor
