Non-religion, also called
, is a broad umbrella term encompassing a range of viewpoints related to the
or rejection of religious belief or practices.
First we have
- broadly speaking, this is the absence of belief in the existence of gods or deities. There is a
form where there is an absence of belief in gods but no clear assertion that there are none, and a
form where there is an explicit belief that no gods exist. There is also some overlap with
, the position that the truth or untruth of the existence of gods is unknowable, and thus no claim to belief or disbelief is made. All forms of these positions feature an absence of belief in gods, but differ in the extent to which they accept or reject the possibility of their existence.
Next we have
, which is more than the absence of belief in gods - it is a direct opposition to religion and its byproducts. Though its exact meaning varies, this can include opposition to organised religion, religious practices and
. Some nations through history have adopted this as an official position, most notably the
with its ideology of Marxism-Leninism and state atheism. This contrasts with the principle of
, which aims to separate religious institutions and practices from the civil affairs of the state, but does not seek to eliminate or act in opposition to religion entirely.
Some choose to lampoon religion through the psuedo-religious movement of
, also known as the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. This is an open satire of religion that serves many functions in highlighting some of the idiosyncrasies of organised religion and religious thinking, and the special consideration and exemptions that religious organisations take advantage of. There is also the phenomenon of
, originating when email chains led hundreds of thousands of people to record their religion as that of the quasi-religious order of knights from the "Star Wars" franchise during the 2001 censuses in
, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This joke or protest answer is now a regular feature in censuses taken across the world.
People of all walks of life across Earth have come to hold these types of views. Many come to a non-religious position early in their childhood, never feeling compelled into religious belief. Others lose faith or renounce their religion later in life, perhaps through self-introspection and/or exposure to the ideas of philosophers and thought leaders. Leaving a religion is called
, which is often used as a pejorative term by those remaining in the religion. Many people will not disclose their non-belief due to fear of stigma and
from their family and community. Regardless, non-religious views are common and most people are likely to know someone with such views, even if they are not open about it.
