Secularism and the Dignity of the Person

By Scott Ferrier, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

Secularism is one of the fruits of modernity and a concept which excludes the need of any recourse to God, making him “unnecessary” and a hindrance to progress. Secularism is symptomatic of our culture. Modern man has turned his attention and the fulfillment of desires to created things, while neglecting the transcendent, spiritual dimension of his being. Over time, this leads to the forgetfulness of God. By nature, we are fundamentally religious beings, created for the worship of God “in spirit and in truth”. As Catholics, we need to always “be watchful and pray—that we not be led into temptation” (Mt 26:41). Though we are all God’s creatures, the perils of “secularism” pervade the very atmosphere we breathe.

The image of God is imprinted upon human nature. We have an inclination towards the Absolute Good and an innate desire for divine beatitude. “He has made everything beautiful in its time; also He has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Eccl 3:11). But Adam and Eve forfeited the original communion with God the Father in Paradise and humanity was exiled to a “strange land” beyond Eden and to evil, suffering, and death. Created for wholeness and goodness, in many things we instead experience their impoverishment, and are unable to bear continuously the burden and humiliation of this truth about ourselves. Once “clothed in glory” in Eden, outside of Eden we are “naked and ashamed.” And so we cover ourselves with pride.

Even as we turn away from God to make our own choices for happiness, we are still unable to erase this reality of our contingency. And when we come to realize those finite choices leave us empty, God awaits the return of his prodigal sons and daughters. The transcendent gift of the divine image—comprised of memory, intellect, and will—always remains.
The human person is the only creature capable of reflecting upon his own death and the meaning of his life. No matter our sins or miseries, God’s mercy and truth speak to us in every moment through the conscience and “show us the path of life” (Ps 16:11).

“The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God” (CCC, 27).