Kada Svet Odbaci Večnost: Sekularizam i Potisnuti Duhovni Potencijal ::: When the World Rejects Eternity: Secularism and Suppressed Spiritual Potential

 

Kada Svet Odbaci Večnost: Sekularizam i Potisnuti Duhovni Potencijal

Sekularizam, kao termin koji korene vuče iz latinske reči /saeculum (što znači "ovaj svet" ili "ovaj vek"), označava koncept života i uređenja društva odvojenog od verskih vrednosti i principa. U početku, ideja sekularne države pojavila se kao odgovor na istorijske okolnosti – sukobi među različitim religijskim zajednicama, te zloupotreba moći od strane institucija, doprineli su težnji da se država postavi kao neutralan entitet. Takvo neutralno uređenje obećavalo je slobodu veroispovesti i zaštitu manjinskih grupa, što je u praksi trebalo da uspostavi mir i stabilnost. No, kada se odvajanje od vere pretvori u odvajanje od duhovne istine i samog Boga, sekularizam dobija sasvim drugačiju dimenziju i predstavlja ozbiljnu opasnost za duhovni život i identitet naroda.

Sekularizam, pored društvenih posledica, duboko utiče i na karakter i ličnost pojedinca, što ga čini dodatno opasnim. Kada se čovek udalji od duhovnih vrednosti i vere, njegova ličnost gubi temeljne orijentire koji usmeravaju unutrašnji razvoj. Karakter, u hrišćanskom smislu, gradi se kroz težnju ka vrlinama – ljubavi, skromnosti, strpljenju i veri u viši smisao postojanja. Međutim, sekularizam, usmeren na racionalistički i materijalni pogled na svet, potiskuje te vrline u korist individualizma, kompetitivnosti i privremenih zadovoljstava, što može ozbiljno ugroziti moralni integritet pojedinca.

Osim toga, sekularizam suptilno preoblikuje identitet i samopouzdanje. Bez vere u nešto veće od sebe, čovek može lako podleći osećaju beznađa, jer materijalni svet ne može pružiti odgovore na egzistencijalna pitanja – o smislu života, smrti i istinskoj sreći. Tako se ličnost suočava sa unutrašnjom prazninom, pokušavajući da je ispuni prolaznim zadovoljstvima koja samo produbljuju osećaj neispunjenosti.

Sveti oci govore o potrebi za usidrenošću duše u neprolaznim vrednostima, koje su od Boga, jer jedino tada čovek može postati istinski stabilan, dostojanstven i dosledan. Sekularizam, s druge strane, odvaja čoveka od ove stabilnosti, što vodi ka rascepu u ličnosti. Oslonjen samo na sebe i svoje intelektualne sposobnosti, pojedinac gubi osećaj povezanosti sa zajednicom i svetom, a njegova unutrašnja stabilnost postaje krhka. U tom stanju, vera u zajedničku viziju preobražaja sveta slabi, a čovek postaje sve više izolovan i nesiguran, što je veoma opasno za duhovno i emocionalno zdravlje.

Na taj način, sekularizam ne samo da potire kolektivne vrednosti vere, već i podriva lični identitet, karakter i samosvest, ostavljajući pojedinca u zamci prolaznosti i prividne slobode.

Koreni i posledice sekularizma 

Odvajanjem Crkve od države započeo je proces koji nije zaustavljen na ideji neutralnosti. Sekularizam je postepeno prerastao u ideologiju koja se suprotstavlja svemu što podseća na večne vrednosti i transcendentne istine. Umesto da se društvo samo obezbedi od religijskih sukoba, sekularizam se ustalio kao ideološki okvir u kojem se duhovna težnja i verovanje guraju u privatnost pojedinca, daleko od javnog života. Sveti oci nas uče da zajedničko okupljanje u veri ima ključnu ulogu u preobražavanju sveta, dok sekularizam vodi čoveka ka individualizmu i otuđenju, potiskujući kolektivnu odgovornost za duhovni razvoj čovečanstva.

Ideološka struktura sekularizma, kao koncept odvajanja vere od države i javnog života, počinje da se formira tokom prosvetiteljstva u 17. i 18. veku, posebno u Evropi. Tokom ovog perioda, dolazi do intelektualnog pokreta koji naglašava razum, empirijske dokaze, nauku i ljudska prava, često u opoziciji prema crkvenoj vlasti i dogmatskim religijskim učenjima. Filozofi poput Voltera, Džona Loka, Žan-Žaka Rusoa i kasnije Immanuela Kanta postavljaju temelje za društveno uređenje koje će biti zasnovano na ljudskom razumu i slobodi, nezavisno od teoloških principa.

Posebno se u Francuskoj tokom Francuske revolucije (1789–1799) sekularizam institucionalizuje kroz mere koje su direktno išle protiv uticaja Crkve na državu. Ustav iz 1795. godine jasno postavlja granicu između Crkve i države, a kasnije, tokom perioda Treće republike u Francuskoj (1870–1940), zakoni još jasnije razdvajaju religiju od države. Najvažniji među njima je zakon iz 1905. godine o razdvajanju Crkve i države, kojim je sekularizam u Francuskoj postao ne samo društvena, već i pravna norma.

U Americi, koncept sekularne države dobija oblik kroz Prvi amandman Ustava Sjedinjenih Američkih Država iz 1791. godine, koji zabranjuje uspostavljanje državne religije i štiti slobodu veroispovesti. Iako ovde sekularizam ne znači potpunu isključenost religije iz javnog života, stvoren je temelj na kojem religija neće imati direktan uticaj na državne strukture.

Nakon ovih ključnih istorijskih trenutaka, sekularizam postaje dominantna ideološka struktura u mnogim zapadnim društvima, gde se crkvene aktivnosti povlače iz javne sfere.

Crkva kao sabirno mesto i sekularizam kao prepreka

Prema pravoslavnom shvatanju, Crkva nije samo institucija već "živi organizam" Hristovog tela, zajednica vernih sabranih u Ljubavi i istini. Okupljanje vernih ima dubok eshatološki značaj jer je upravo kroz sabranje moguće dosegnuti preobražaj ne samo pojedinca, već i celokupnog sveta. Sekularizam, međutim, potire tu ideju. U društvu gde je religija strogo odvojena od svih državnih i društvenih struktura, vernici se postepeno odvajaju jedni od drugih, a vera se doživljava kao privatna stvar lišenog uticaja na javni život.

Sveti vladika Nikolaj Velimirović opominje da narod bez vere i bez Crkve postaje izgubljen, lutajući bez svetlosti u tami sveta. On upozorava da je vera ona koja daje smisao i pravac životu, i okuplja narod oko svetlosti Hristove. Sekularizam, suprotno tome, nudi iluziju slobode i neutralnosti, dok zapravo izbacuje svetlost iz svakodnevnog života, ostavljajući ljude u prividu sopstvene autonomije, ali bez unutrašnje stabilnosti i svrhe.

Posledice na kolektivno shvatanje i preobražaj sveta

U društvima gde sekularizam dominira, narod postaje sve više okrenut materijalnom i individualnom, što rezultira gubitkom smisla za zajednicu. U hrišćanskom učenju, zajednica nije samo društvena forma već ikona budućeg Carstva Božijeg, gde su svi sjedinjeni u ljubavi prema Bogu i bližnjem. Preobražaj sveta počinje u preobraženom srcu pojedinca, ali tek u zajednici to seme dobija puninu i snagu da preobrazi društvo. Sekularizam ovo sputava, stvarajući društvenu klimu u kojoj je duhovna obnova zajednice nemoguća.

Put u preobražaj kroz sabornost, a ne kroz sekularizam

U pravoslavlju, čovek se ne spašava kao pojedinac već kao član Crkve – tela koje je otelotvorenje same Božije ljubavi i istine. Sabranje nije samo ritual; ono je put ka jedinstvu sa Hristom, gde se duhovna snaga zajednice stapa sa molitvom i verom pojedinca. Sekularna država, pokušavajući da ukloni Crkvu iz društva, ne dozvoljava ovom jedinstvu da deluje, čime se koči mogućnost preobražaja društva kroz božansku energiju i ljubav.

Sveto-otačka tradicija nas podseća da bez vere i Crkve nema pravog razvoja društva, jer vera nije samo lično uverenje, već osnovna snaga koja ujedinjuje ljude u težnji ka večnom životu.

Šta možemo da zaključimo i kao najvažnije zaključimo?

Fokusiraćemo se na nekoliko ključnih tačaka koje otkrivaju kako sekularizam vodi od eshatološke, duhovne punine zajednice ka praznini i gubitku identiteta.

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Od Eshatona ka praznini

Eshaton /budući vek, je težnje Crkve, gde „saborno telo“ vernika predstavlja unapred predočenu sliku, ikonu, Carstva Božijeg. Sekularizam, međutim, gura društvo ka praznini: odvojen od vere, čovek ostaje bez svetla koje ga vodi ka budućnosti sa smislom. Dok eshaton poziva na večno jedinstvo, sekularizam usmerava pojedinca ka privremenim ciljevima, ispunjavajući ga prolaznim željama, a zajednicu ostavljajući bez dubljeg identiteta.

Gubitak sabornosti i atomizacija zajednice je toliko prisutna da dolazi do velikih i uznemirujućih promena.  Sabornost Crkve tj.  zajednički, svetotajinski život - temelj je pravoslavne zajednice. Sekularizam, međutim, deluje kao centrifugalna sila koja razbija jedinstvo na pojedince usmerene samo na svoje interese i zatvara ih u zasebnu "individualnu pobožnost".  Ova „atomizacija“ stvara društvo u kojem je lični interes iznad zajedničkog dobra. Sveti Oci često govore o opasnosti egoizma koji se uvećava u odsustvu vere. U sekularnom svetu, zajednica postaje skup izolovanih pojedinaca, bez dubljeg međusobnog odnosa.

Sekularizam utiče ne samo na zajednicu već i na samu suštinu pojedinca. Čovek, udaljen od duhovnih vrednosti, gubi stabilnost i unutrašnji oslonac. Sveti oci podsećaju da karakter izrasta kroz težnju ka vrlinama - ljubavi, smirenju i trpljenju. Bez ovih temelja, ličnost postaje nestabilna, kolebljiva, sklona zameni duhovnih vrednosti za prolazne ciljeve. Umesto vrline, nastupa egoizam i kompetitivnost, što vodi unutrašnjoj praznini.

„Neutralnost“ kao lažna Sloboda je uvek opasna zamka. Sekularna država, koja promoviše „neutralnost,“ na prvi pogled izgleda kao garant slobode. Međutim, svetootačka tradicija upozorava da neutralnost bez vere postaje iluzija slobode. Ova „neutralnost“ ne dozvoljava duhovnom jedinstvu da deluje u društvenim strukturama, već ga potiskuje u privatnost. Tako vera postaje marginalizovana, a javni prostor lišen svetla istine. Ovaj odvojen javni prostor postepeno postaje mesto gde vlada relativizam, gde nema jasnih moralnih orijentira.

Na kraju, zaključak bi trebalo da bude jasan. Vidimo koliko je danas ličnost pojedinaca, odvojena od svoje sopstvene suštine gde je sve usmereno samo na samozadovoljavajući odnos prema životu.  Sveti oci naglašavaju da prava sloboda i ispunjenje dolaze kroz ekstatički osnos prema drugima u zajednici i veri. Sekularizam, udaljavajući čoveka od vere, vodi ka društvu bez dublje svrhe, gde su veze među ljudima prolazne i lišene suštinskog značenja.

When the World Rejects Eternity: Secularism and Suppressed Spiritual Potential

Secularism, a term rooted in the Latin word *saeculum* (meaning "this world" or "this age"), denotes a concept of life and societal structure divorced from religious values and principles. Initially, the idea of a secular state emerged as a response to historical circumstances: conflicts among various religious communities and abuses of power by institutions spurred the desire to establish the state as a neutral entity. Such neutrality promised freedom of worship and protection for minority groups, aiming to create peace and stability. However, when the separation from faith transforms into a separation from spiritual truth and God Himself, secularism takes on a different dimension and poses a serious threat to the spiritual life and identity of a people.

Beyond its societal consequences, secularism profoundly affects individual character and personality, making it all the more dangerous. When a person distances themselves from spiritual values and faith, they lose the fundamental guidelines that direct their inner development. In a Christian sense, character is built through striving for virtues—love, humility, patience, and faith in a higher purpose. Yet secularism, oriented toward a rationalistic and material view of the world, suppresses these virtues in favor of individualism, competitiveness, and transient pleasures, which can severely undermine one’s moral integrity.

Secularism also subtly reshapes identity and self-confidence. Without faith in something greater than oneself, it’s easy for one to succumb to a sense of hopelessness, as the material world cannot provide answers to existential questions—about the meaning of life, death, and true happiness. Thus, the personality is faced with an inner emptiness, attempting to fill it with fleeting satisfactions that only deepen the sense of unfulfillment.

The Holy Fathers speak of the need for the soul to be anchored in eternal values, those from God, as only then can a person become truly stable, dignified, and consistent. Secularism, on the other hand, separates one from this stability, leading to a split within the personality. Relying solely on oneself and one’s intellectual abilities, the individual loses a sense of connection with the community and the world, and their inner stability becomes fragile. In such a state, faith in a common vision for the transformation of the world weakens, and the individual becomes increasingly isolated and insecure, a condition dangerous to both spiritual and emotional health.

In this way, secularism not only denies the collective values of faith but also undermines personal identity, character, and self-awareness, leaving the individual trapped in transience and an illusion of freedom.

**Roots and Consequences of Secularism**

The separation of Church and state marked the beginning of a process that did not stop at the notion of neutrality. Secularism gradually evolved into an ideology that opposes anything reminiscent of eternal values and transcendent truths. Rather than simply safeguarding society from religious conflicts, secularism became an ideological framework in which spiritual longing and belief are pushed into the privacy of the individual, away from public life. The Holy Fathers teach us that gathering in faith plays a crucial role in transforming the world, while secularism leads people towards individualism and alienation, suppressing collective responsibility for humanity's spiritual development.

The ideological structure of secularism, as a concept separating faith from the state and public life, began forming during the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in Europe. During this period, an intellectual movement emphasizing reason, empirical evidence, science, and human rights often positioned itself in opposition to ecclesiastical authority and dogmatic religious teachings. Philosophers such as Voltaire, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and later Immanuel Kant laid the foundations for a social order based on human reason and freedom, independent of theological principles.

In France, especially during the French Revolution (1789–1799), secularism became institutionalized through measures that directly countered the Church's influence on the state. The 1795 Constitution clearly delineated the boundary between Church and state, and later, during the period of the Third Republic in France (1870–1940), laws further separated religion from state affairs. The most significant among them was the 1905 law on the separation of Church and state, which made secularism not only a social but also a legal norm in France.

In America, the concept of a secular state took shape through the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1791, which prohibits the establishment of a state religion and protects freedom of worship. Although secularism in this context does not imply a complete exclusion of religion from public life, a foundation was established where religion would not directly influence state structures.

After these key historical moments, secularism became the dominant ideological structure in many Western societies, where church activities gradually retreated from the public sphere.

**The Church as a Gathering Place and Secularism as an Obstacle**

From an Orthodox perspective, the Church is not merely an institution but a "living organism" of Christ’s body, a community of the faithful gathered in Love and Truth. The gathering of believers holds deep eschatological significance, as it is through communion that transformation can be achieved, not only of the individual but of the entire world. However, secularism undermines this idea. In a society where religion is strictly separated from all state and social structures, believers gradually distance from one another, and faith is experienced as a private matter, stripped of its influence on public life.

Saint Bishop Nikolai Velimirović warns that a people without faith and without the Church become lost, wandering without light in the darkness of the world. He cautions that faith gives life meaning and direction and gathers people around the light of Christ. Secularism, on the contrary, offers the illusion of freedom and neutrality while actually excluding light from everyday life, leaving people with the illusion of autonomy but without inner stability or purpose.

**Consequences for Collective Understanding and World Transformation**

In societies where secularism prevails, people become increasingly focused on the material and individual, resulting in a loss of community spirit. In Christian teaching, community is not merely a social form but an icon of the future Kingdom of God, where all are united in love for God and neighbor. The transformation of the world begins in the transformed heart of the individual, but it is only in community that this seed gains fullness and strength to transform society. Secularism stifles this by creating a social climate in which spiritual renewal of the community is impossible.

**The Path to Transformation through Communion, Not Secularism**

In Orthodoxy, salvation is not achieved individually but as a member of the Church—the body that embodies divine love and truth itself. Communion is not just a ritual; it is the path to unity with Christ, where the spiritual strength of the community merges with the prayer and faith of the individual. The secular state, in its attempt to remove the Church from society, prevents this unity from acting, thereby hindering the possibility of transforming society through divine energy and love.

The tradition of the Holy Fathers reminds us that without faith and the Church, there can be no true societal development, for faith is not just a personal conviction but the foundational strength that unites people in the pursuit of eternal life.

**Conclusion and Essential Insights**

In light of these reflections, we can conclude with a few key points that reveal how secularism leads from the eschatological, spiritual fullness of community to emptiness and loss of identity.

**From Eschaton to Emptiness**

Eschaton, or the "age to come," is the aim of the Church, where the "conciliar body" of believers represents a foretaste, an icon, of the Kingdom of God. However, secularism pushes society toward emptiness; separated from faith, humanity is left without the guiding light toward a purposeful future. While eschaton calls for eternal unity, secularism directs the individual toward temporary goals, filling them with fleeting desires, and leaving the community without a deeper identity. 

**From the Eschaton to Emptiness**

The *Eschaton*—the age to come—represents the ultimate aim of the Church, where the “conciliar body” of believers embodies an icon of the Kingdom of God. Secularism, however, propels society toward emptiness; separated from faith, humanity is left without the guiding light that leads toward a meaningful future. While the Eschaton calls for eternal unity, secularism directs individuals toward temporary goals, filling them with fleeting desires and leaving communities without a deeper identity.

The loss of conciliar unity and the atomization of society are now so pervasive that they bring about troubling and significant changes. The conciliar life of the Church—marked by a shared sacramental life—is the foundation of the Orthodox community. Yet, secularism acts as a centrifugal force, fragmenting this unity into self-centered individuals focused on their own interests, isolating them within a personal “individual piety.” This “atomization” creates a society in which personal interest outweighs the common good. The Holy Fathers frequently warn of the dangers of egoism, which grows in the absence of faith. In a secularized world, community becomes a collection of isolated individuals, lacking any profound connection.

Secularism affects not only the community but also the very essence of the individual. Separated from spiritual values, a person loses stability and inner support. The Holy Fathers remind us that character develops through striving for virtues—love, humility, and patience. Without these foundations, the personality becomes unstable, wavering, prone to replacing spiritual values with transitory goals. Instead of virtue, egoism and competitiveness emerge, leading to inner emptiness.

“Neutrality” as a False Freedom is a constant danger. The secular state, promoting “neutrality,” appears at first glance to guarantee freedom. However, the patristic tradition warns that neutrality without faith becomes an illusion of freedom. This “neutrality” does not allow spiritual unity to operate within social structures, relegating it instead to private life. Thus, faith becomes marginalized, and the public sphere is deprived of the light of truth. This detached public space gradually becomes a domain where relativism reigns, with no clear moral orientation.

Ultimately, the conclusion should be evident. We see today how individuals, detached from their essence and oriented solely toward self-satisfying approaches to life, are led astray. The Holy Fathers emphasize that true freedom and fulfillment come through an ecstatic relationship toward others in community and faith. By distancing humanity from faith, secularism leads to a society without deeper purpose, where connections between people are transient and stripped of genuine meaning.