--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Secular Humanism is opposed to other…" description: "\"Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it actively rejects, excludes, and attempts to eliminate traditional theism from meaningful participati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png" --- # Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it… ![“Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it actively rejects, excludes, and attempts to eliminate traditional theism from meaningful participation in the American culture.” quote by Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png) > “Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it actively rejects, excludes, and attempts to eliminate traditional theism from meaningful participation in the American culture.” [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Secular Humanism challenges religious dominance, seeking to remove traditional theism from public life. **In simple terms:** It opposes religion and tries to exclude it from culture. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect diverse belief systems. Themes religion culture secularism inclusion politics Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - policy debates - media coverage - community events Key Concepts humanism pluralism public sphere Questions to Reflect On - How can secular values coexist with religious traditions? - What are the risks of excluding faith from public life? A Different Perspective Resistance may alienate believers and spark backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-culture/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanism/) [Humanism Opposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanism-opposed-1733776/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Opposed Religions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposed-religions-898590/) [Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participation/) [Rejects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejects/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/) [Secular humanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular-humanism/) [Theism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/) ## Related quotes > [We are on the side of religion as opposed to religions, and we are among those who believe in the wretched inadequacy of sermons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/we-are-on-the-side-of-religion-as-opposed-to-religions-and-we-are/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [There are also two Christianities in the world today. There is (1) the Christianity of the New Testament, and there is (2) the Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/there-are-also-two-christianities-in-the-world-today-there-is-1-the/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Secular humanism proposes ... the complete implementation of the agenda of modernism ... what is necessary for it to occur is a ... New Enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/secular-humanism-proposes-the-complete-implementation-of-the-agenda/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [“Hunting Down the Secular Humanists" "...What makes them so dangerous is that Secular Humanists look just like you and me. Some of them could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/hunting-down-the-secular-humanists-what-makes-them-so-dangerous-is/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [American politician doesWe're going to bring back God and the Bible and drive the gods of secular humanism right out of the public schools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/american-politician-doeswe-re-going-to-bring-back-god-and-the-bible/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Secular humanism does not have the essential attributes of a religion: belief in a deity, the wish for some sort of afterlife, sacred dogma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/secular-humanism-does-not-have-the-essential-attributes-of-a-religion/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [We're going to bring back God and the Bible and drive the gods of secular humanism right out of the public schools of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/we-re-going-to-bring-back-god-and-the-bible-and-drive-the-gods-of/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [“The humanitarian philosophies that have been developed (sometimes under some religious banner and invariably in the face of religious opposition) are human inventions, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-kroto/the-humanitarian-philosophies-that-have-been-developed-sometimes/) [Harry Kroto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-kroto/) > [Nonbelievers are protected by the religion clauses of the Constitution not because secular humanism is a religion, which it is not, but because when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-dorsen/nonbelievers-are-protected-by-the-religion-clauses-of-the/) [Norman Dorsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-dorsen/) > [Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/among-religions-in-this-country-which-do-not-teach-what-would/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [We're in a religious war and we need to aggressively oppose secular humanism; these people are as religiously motivated as we are and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/we-re-in-a-religious-war-and-we-need-to-aggressively-oppose-secular/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [“As for the belief that humanity is mostly good, Secular humanism, when in that alignment, always presumes the existence of a higher power, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/as-for-the-belief-that-humanity-is-mostly-good-secular-humanism-when/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Only a loving and covenant-making personal God can provide humans with unique dignity, worth, and rights. Blind nature cannot do that. So, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/only-a-loving-and-covenant-making-personal-god-can-provide-humans/) [Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/) > [“We've already had Malthus , the friend of humanity. But the friend of humanity with shaky moral principles is the devourer of humanity, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/we-ve-already-had-malthus-the-friend-of-humanity-but-the-friend-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“But the most insidious and dangerous of false religions is secular humanism. It’s so crafty, so sneaky, with its kindness and its decency, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/but-the-most-insidious-and-dangerous-of-false-religions-is-secular/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by Harvey Cox > [Not to decide is to decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/not-to-decide-is-to-decide/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Somewhere deep down we know that in the final analysis, we do decide things and that even our decisions to let someone else decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/somewhere-deep-down-we-know-that-in-the-final-analysis-we-do-decide/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Secularism is not only indifferent to alternative religious systems, but as a religious ideology it is opposed to any other religious systems. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secularism-is-not-only-indifferent-to-alternative-religious-systems/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [“The values we rightly associate with the modern age - the "liberty, equality, and fraternity" of the French revolution - are all endangered today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-values-we-rightly-associate-with-the-modern-age-the-liberty/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [There has never been a better raconteur than Jesus of Nazareth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/there-has-never-been-a-better-raconteur-than-jesus-of-nazareth/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [It is always the task of the intellectual to "think otherwise." This is not just a perverse idiosyncrasy. It is an absolutely essential feature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/it-is-always-the-task-of-the-intellectual-to-think-otherwise-this-is/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [Sermons remain one of the last forms of public discourse where it is culturally forbidden to talk back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/sermons-remain-one-of-the-last-forms-of-public-discourse-where-it-is/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by. religion, whatever else it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/all-human-beings-have-an-innate-need-to-hear-and-tell-stories-and-to/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [All human beings have an innate need to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/all-human-beings-have-an-innate-need-to-hear-and-tell-stories-and-to-2/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [What we are seeking so frantically elsewhere may turn out to be the horse we have been riding all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/what-we-are-seeking-so-frantically-elsewhere-may-turn-out-to-be-the/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [The comic, more than the tragic, because it ignites hope, leads to more, not less, participation in the struggle for a just world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-comic-more-than-the-tragic-because-it-ignites-hope-leads-to-more/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [The real ecumenical crisis today is not between Catholics and Protestants but between traditional and experimental forms of church life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/the-real-ecumenical-crisis-today-is-not-between-catholics-and/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [God laughs, it seems, because God knows how it all turns out in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/god-laughs-it-seems-because-god-knows-how-it-all-turns-out-in-the-end/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > ["Religion" can no more be equated with what goes on in churches than "education" can be reduced to what happens in schools or "health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/religion-can-no-more-be-equated-with-what-goes-on-in-churches-than/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [We now live in a 'post-Christian' America . The Judeo-Christian ethic no longer guides our social institutions. Christian ideals and values no longer dominate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/we-now-live-in-a-post-christian-america-the-judeo-christian-ethic-no/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) [Explore all 24 Harvey Cox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) ## More American culture quotes > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [The Soviet Union is like the Cross without Christ, while American culture is like Christ without the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-soviet-union-is-like-the-cross-without-christ-while-american/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“information, in a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy that revealed the extent to which he had internalised the adversarial fragmentation of American culture and made it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/information-in-a-stream-of-consciousness-soliloquy-that-revealed-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [ \[If\] we can celebrate that in a way that celebrates our love for New England as well as our love for the Italian culture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/if-we-can-celebrate-that-in-a-way-that-celebrates-our-love-for-new/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [I think in American culture, we put value on economic success but tell people you don't have to be economically successful to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-think-in-american-culture-we-put-value-on-economic-success-but-tell/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [The most important thing about Jazz at Lincoln Center is the fact that it's the first time that perhaps the most important art form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-vinoly/the-most-important-thing-about-jazz-at-lincoln-center-is-the-fact/) [Rafael Vinoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-vinoly/) > [And certainly in British culture, as I'm sure it's the same with American culture, we warm to cultures where people can make fun of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/and-certainly-in-british-culture-as-i-m-sure-it-s-the-same-with/) [Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/) > [Canada could have enjoyed: English government, French culture, and American know-how. Instead it ended up with: English know-how, French government, and American culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/canada-could-have-enjoyed-english-government-french-culture-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In contemporary American culture, the religions are more and more treated as just passing beliefs - almost as fads - rather than as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/in-contemporary-american-culture-the-religions-are-more-and-more/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [Being educated in the United States gave me a good understanding of American culture. I think I got a lot of influence from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/being-educated-in-the-united-states-gave-me-a-good-understanding-of/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [“From the isolated, individualistic perspective of most white evangelicals and many other Americans, there really is no race problem other than bad interpersonal relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-smith/from-the-isolated-individualistic-perspective-of-most-white/) [Christian Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-smith/) > [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [In American culture at large, but especially in African American culture, it's a sign of weakness to ask for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/in-american-culture-at-large-but-especially-in-african-american/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) [Browse all 437 American culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-culture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it actively rejects, excludes, and attempts to eliminate traditional theism from meaningful participation in the American culture.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harvey Cox" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-religions-it-actively-rejects/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American culture" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-religions-it-actively-rejects/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d2/harvey-cox-24811_american-culture_secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-rel_2575823.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Secular Humanism is opposed to other religions; it actively rejects, excludes, and attempts to eliminate…” — Harvey Cox", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harvey Cox", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Secular Humanism is opposed to other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-religions-it-actively-rejects/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/secular-humanism-is-opposed-to-other-religions-it-actively-rejects/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```