A main secular religion and one that still has much power and influence in Canada, the United States and Western Europe especially in such areas as the media, the legal system, politics and education as well as science and technology is secular humanism. Although this system is not regarded by some as a religion it has its own beliefs and sacred writings with the Humanist Manifesto I and II and magazines like the Humanist as well as promoting organizations. Although secular humanism generally tries to emphasize and promote and says it promotes relative values and a type of independent or non-interventionalist policy on personal belief and lifestyle such as in their statement from part 3 of Humanist Manisfesto II: "We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction." They also on the other hand do promote some of their own absolute values both in their stated values in the Humanist Manifestos and in their practical actions. Some of these absolute values are consistant with Christian values while some of them are opposed.
In atheism, agnosticism and skepticism as well as secular humanism since their followers don't believe in the God of the Bible or the Bible they will mostly at most think that Jesus Christ is a good man or religious teacher but not the Son of God and not the Saviour of the world who was sent from God to die for the sins of the world and rise again to bring people to God. The latter of course is what true or biblical Christianity teaches. Communism would probably be even more negative as we witnessed under the Soviet Union and still see today in some communist countries like Mainland China and Vietnam or Laos where believers in Jesus Christ are actively persecuted showing that communism still considers Jesus Christ a dangerous or subversive person that should be suppressed. Existentialism even the religious variety probably just doesn't consider Jesus Christ important since existentialism is mostly subjective and is not interested in some of the objective truths that are the basis of Christianity and the life or Christ such as his virgin birth, death on the cross for our sins and resurrection from the dead to give us new life, ascension and promised return to take his church to heaven and judge the world. Of course these objective beliefs in the Lord Jesus Christ are foundational for true or biblical Christianity or Christians.
In atheism, agnosticism and skepticism their followers mostly view the Bible as myths and false hopes since they don't believe in a God that made the universe or that would give a message to mankind. Secular humanists would have some of the same views although some of them might hold the Bible as just one religious book among many for which people should have their choice to follow. Communists would mostly hold the Bible also as subversive and providing a false hope than their ideal society of a communist classless utopia and as has happened in the Soviet Union and that happened before in China and still happens to some degree in Vietman and Laos attempts are made to destroy and limit the circulation of Bibles or Christian literature. Communism through the three self churches that are registered with the government still tries to undermine the Bible by prohibiting some of its more critical teaching such as the gospel message of the necessity or receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christians, the literal interpretation of God's creation work in Genesis or about Jesus' second coming to judge the world and establish God's kingdom on earth including in China instead of a communist one. Existentialism due again to its subjectivism bases its teachings and practices more on the experiences of its followers and this would tend to minimize the importance to them of the objective teachings of the Bible for teachings to follow for one's faith. Of course in biblical Christianity as the term suggests the Bible is our record of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the one true and living God who he represents and how we can have salvation and a blessed destiny or relation with God and a home in heaven and forgiveness of sins through Jesus as well as live for Him in this world either directly or indirectly how we relate to other people.
All secular religions including atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, secular humanism, communism would say the world only consists of what we can see with our senses or with machines etc. as an extension of our senses and the secular religions would not admit to any spiritual aspect of the world such as God, Jesus Christ in his spiritual aspect, the Holy Spirit, angels or demons although agnosticism might not refuse the idea of any spiritual aspect of the world but only say there is not enough evidence to prove its existence. Existentialism or its followers would say the world is only important in that part we experience it with the world being also limited to the material aspect for the atheistic existentialists but the world would include some of the spirtual realm for religious existentialists but only that part they personal experience or encounter.
In atheism, skepticism and secular humanism man is viewed as the most highly evolved and advanced creature that nevertheless has much in common with other animals especially the primate or ape-monkey family. Human beings are seen by many from these backgrounds as still evolving through better social understanding and technology sometimes ignoring that there have also been some very severe wars, atrocities and societies since the beginning of the 20th century partly using what was then state of the art technology. Some people from these backgrounds also believe there is a strong possibility that intelligent life will be found from planets of other stars as the odds of evolution should favour intelligent life occurring on some other planets with the vast number of stars and probably planets not only in our own galaxy but also beyond. Human rights, democracy and tolerance are seen as major social values with people from these backgrounds as well as a positive view of science and technology. People from an agnostic background would agree with most of these things as well but would say there is not enough evidence to rule out the possibility that we were created by some type of God. People of a communist background would say that man is also the most advanced creature and would probably also believe in evolution but wouldn't put as much emphasis on this as the previously mentioned groups although genuine communists would also strongly disagree with the belief human beings were created by an eternal, almighty, personal God as Christians believe. Communists would say mankind's destiny is to evolve into a worldwide peaceful classless society that would take control away from capitalists or religious people that are sometimes seen to be associated with capitalists. Existentialists would say it is not very important what objective beliefs one has about the origin or nature of man it is more important that a person makes the most of their experiences to let that guide a person to become the person they should be and that this might or might not involve a God but that the most important thing is not having our sins forgiven by that God and having a relationship with Him but only using what he might allow into one's life to develop one's essence or nature. These are all in contrast to biblical Christianity that portrays man as the highest of God's earthly creations that was made in the image of God and to have fellowship with him and that was given rule over all creation on earth but fell into sin and disobedience to God but has been given an opportunity to have a restored relationship with God in this life and the life to come through God's Son Jesus Christ and His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead and personal faith in Him.
As secular religions don't believe in God, Heaven or an afterlife their idea of salvation or as close as one can say they believe in it is only for this life. In atheism, skepticism and secular humanism one could say their followers' idea of the way of salvation is to live a good life contributing to society in humanitarian and scientific ways and then they would have the praise of society in their time and at least for some time in history. The way of salvation if you want to call it that for communists is to contribute in the struggle for an ideal communist society by advancing society through the different stages envisioned by Karl Marx including overthrowing any indulgent capitalist or what is viewed as corrupt religious system with athiestic classless communist ones in which what is thought as the temporary communist leadership involved in the overthrow of capitalism in a certain country eventually gives up its power and priviledges to realize a more equitable true communist ideal society. In existentialism the means of salvation is to make the most of one's opportunities and experiences by oneself and with others to develop one's nature or essence. In biblical Christianity salvation is by admitting we are sinners which means we do or don't do some things contrary or offensive to God or other people including act or speak selfishly instead of living first for God and considering other people as much as ourselves. We then pray to God through Jesus that we acknowledge that we recognize Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God or God who came down into this world through the virgin birth as a sinless man who lived a perfect life and died on the cross to pay for our sins then rose from the dead to give us new life and ask him to be our personal Lord and Saviour for the rest of this life and for eternity. God will then send His Holy Spirit and establish a spiritual union with Jesus in which God gives us a new sinless nature through which he can live his life and will through us in this life although hindered by our old nature we get from physical conception and birth but that will be unhindered in the life to come when we are freed from our old nature and only have our new godly nature and when the rapture of the church happens a godly spiritual body.
As followers of secular religions don't believe in God, Jesus, heaven or the afterlife their ultimate goal is to seek evolution through what they think is an invariably positive process of natural selection in social darwinism use the good in people individually and as a society such as humanitarian social efforts or good uses or science and technology cause society and civilization to become more harmonious worldwide and more advanced as it is thought through evolution mankind would continue to evolve. It would also be thought by atheists, skeptics, secular humanists and some agnostics that positive mutations over many generations would make people generally more intelligent, considerate and powerful. This theory was very popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s and was also embraced by many Christians in the form of postmillennialism but was dealt a cruel and realistic blow with World War 1 and then shortly afterwards with World War 2 with the depths or the cruelty and savagery of mankind including in the supposedly enlightened people of Europe and North America. However this theory or ideal is still popular among some atheists, skeptics, secular humanists and some agnostics who don't yet think there is enough evidence for God, Jesus an afterlife and a more spiritual view of the ultimate purpose of mankind. The ultimate goal of communism is a classless society where human and material assets or means of production are primarily used for the benefit of all people of any capacity and not just mostly for the benefit of the more skilled, intelligent and rich or popular as in capitalism. This would be also after countries where there has been a communist revolution such as Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia or Cuba or previously some countries in Africa and Latin America and now probably in Nepal volutarily have their leaders give up their power, priviledges and influence to become themselves part of the classless society which has not really happened in any of these countries before and certainly not now as the Bible would say it is man's nature to try to seek and hold unto power. With existentialists, their goal is to have the best experiences in this life themselves and how they relate to other people which is all thought by them to give them the best essence or nature although most of them don't see this having any affect or any continuity of life after death. In biblical Christianity we believe that history itself is a record of God intervening in the affairs of mankind to establish a people for Himself and His Word and ways first from among all people, then through His chosen earthly people the Jews and then after Pentecost through the Church to the rapture and then through the Jews in the tribulation and the Millennium with the means of salvation or ultimate goal to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah that he died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life and then live for him by the indwelling Holy Spirit and prepare to spend eternity with Him and His people in the new heaven, the new earth and the new Jerusalem in his blessing.
Some information in this article based on Handbook of Today's Religions by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart Nelson Publisher Copyright 1983 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. ISBN 0-8407-3501-4 and is a collection of four separate previous books Understanding the Cults, Understanding the Occult, Understanding Non-Christian Religions and Understanding Secular Religions
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