Taking pluralism and liberalism seriously: the need to re-understand faith, beliefs, religion, and diversity in the public sphere

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Periodical article

Title:	Taking pluralism and liberalism seriously: the need to re-understand faith, beliefs, religion, and diversity in the public sphere
Author:	Benson, Iain T.
Year:	2010
Periodical:	Journal for the Study of Religion (ISSN 1011-7601)
Volume:	23
Issue:	1-2
Pages:	17-41
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	South Africa Canada
Subjects:	religious policy Church and State jurisprudence
Abstract:	How the nature of the public sphere and the fact that all citizens are believers (but not necessarily religious beliefs) is understood, is important to treating all beliefs (including religion) fairly in the public sphere. This paper argues for a re-understanding of foundational ideas such as 'secular', 'faith', 'beliefs', 'diversity' and 'liberalism'. It argues that an atheistic or agnostic dominance of the public sphere is unfair and, when the principles are understood properly, unconstitutional. The paper examines the law and recent cases in South Africa and Canada against a backdrop of each country's constitutional provisions, as well as recent philosophical arguments, to suggest that key terms and phrases such as the 'separation of Church and State' and the relationship between religion and equality need to be re-understood in order for pluralism and liberalism to be properly related to human freedom and to be properly protected and encouraged by law and politics. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]