Thoughts on Professor Phil Debate on Secularization

Umar Mohammed

“Where belief fades like twilight, societies often awaken to brighter mornings of freedom and peace.”

Listening to Professor Phil Zuckerman’s debate on secularization, I was moved by how clearly, he challenged long-standing assumptions about faith and society. The three of his points stood out as the most compelling.

The first was his insistence on the problem of defining God. He argued that believers cannot even agree on what God is, some describe a being outside time, others speak of a presence everywhere, but the definitions often collapse into contradiction. This made me pause. If something is so central to people’s lives, yet cannot be described in a way that holds together logically, how can we confidently call it real? That question lingers with me.

The second point that stayed with me was his warning against the appeal to ignorance. His story about the airplane passenger who claimed to know the pilot’s name “on faith” was both funny and sharp. Just because we lack an answer does not mean the most extraordinary explanation should win by default. I found this refreshing because, too often, doubt is treated as weakness. In reality, choosing to admit “I don’t know” is more honest and rational than leaping to a claim with no evidence.

Lastly, Zuckerman drew a striking comparison between forced and organic secularization. Dictatorships may stamp out religion through violence, but in free societies it often fades away naturally. What fascinated me was his observation that in countries where faith has declined peacefully like Scandinavia, Japan etc. people live longer, safer and freer lives. Meanwhile, the most devout nations like my dear country Nigeria often struggle with poverty, corruption and instability. This contrast raises a hard but important question, if devotion to God truly brings blessing, why do the societies that pray the most often suffer the most?

I agree with Prof. Phil because his arguments point to a hopeful truth, human progress don’t depend on divine favor but on how we organize our societies. Health care, education, justice and compassion are built by human effort, not miracles. For someone like me, who has never found belief persuasive, this is deeply encouraging. It shows that meaning, safety and dignity are possible without faith. Religion may comfort some, but a better world can be built on reason, empathy and shared responsibility.

“In the end, it is not divine promises but human hands and hearts that shape a brighter world.”