Secularothinking

The dogmatic groupthink that can emerge within militant secularist or anti-religious communities, where any expression of religious belief, spirituality, or tradition is automatically dismissed as primitive, irrational, or dangerous. This mindset enforces a rigid orthodoxy of materialism and scientific reductionism, treating all religion as a monolithic evil. It prevents nuanced understanding of religion's cultural, psychological, and social roles, and often mirrors the absolutism it condemns, creating an echo chamber of intellectual superiority that is hostile to phenomenological or anthropological perspectives.

Example: In an online atheist forum, a member shares research on the positive role of religious rituals in community cohesion during crises. The response is pure Secularothinking: immediate accusations of "apologetics," a barrage of links to crimes committed in religion's name, and mocking of the user's intelligence. The group's identity is so tied to opposition that it cannot engage with any data that complicates its worldview.

by Dumuabzu February 5, 2026