Atheism in post-socialist conditions : the case of Slovenia

Smrke, Marjan (author), Uhan, Samo (author)

In post-socialist Slovenia one observes the re-emergence of certain traditional defamatory attitudes toward atheism. For this reason, empirical testing of the following theses, which have been publically promulgated by leading representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, have been undertaken in recent years: 1. that atheists are unhappy; 2. that atheists are unreflective about life; 3. that atheists are immoral; and 4. that atheists do not feel solidarity with social minorities. On the basis of data collected by ISSP, EVS, and WVS research studies, it is possible to claim that these statements made by the Catholic Church about Slovene atheists are unsubstantiated. Especially as regards "convinced atheists" and "natural atheists" who exhibit above-average levels of happiness, above-average belief as to the meaning of life, average moral rigour and below-average social distance in relation to various social minorities. The explanations of such findings will be pursued in a comparative analysis of the ethos and value habitus of Catholicism on the one hand, and in the secular ideologies that have been present in Slovenia on the other.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2012
• Number of pages: Str. 492-515, 601
• Numbering: Letn. 49, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-76042
• UDC: 141.45:17(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 31363677
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

V postsocialistični Sloveniji opažamo pojav ožiljanja nekaterih tradicionalnih sramotilnih stališč o ateizmu. V pričujočem članku zato empirično preverjamo veljavnost nekaterih tozadevnih trditev, ki so jih izrekli nekateri vodilni predstavniki RKC: 1. da so ateisti nesrečni; 2. da ne razmišljajo o smislu življenja; 3. da so nemoralni; 4. da ne kažejo solidarnosti z družbenimi manjšinami. Na osnovi analize podatkov iz raziskav ISSP, EVS in WVS je mogoče reči, da nobena izmed teh trditev ni utemeljena. Še zlasti od takih predstav odstopajo "prepričani ateisti" oz. "naravni ateisti", saj izražajo nadpovprečno srečnost, nadpovprečno prepričanost v smiselnost življenja, povprečno moralno rigoroznost in podpovprečno socialno distanco do manjšin. Razlaga dobljenih rezultatov je postavljena v okvir primerjave etosa in vrednotnega habitusa katolicizma ter sekularnih ideologij, ki so zaznamovale Slovence.