What this axis measures
The faith axis is about the relationship between religion and politics. It does not measure whether you personally believe in God or practise a religion. Instead, it asks what role religious values, institutions and leaders should play in law, education and public policy. At the Secular pole is the view that religion should be kept separate from law and government, with public decisions based on reasons that people of any faith or none can share. At the Religious pole is the view that religious values should inform law and public life, and that a society needs shared religious or moral foundations.
Many popular political tests ignore this dimension or fold it into a general "social" axis. We measure it separately because it divides people in ways the other axes don't. A devout believer may strongly support church–state separation, as many Baptists and other religious minorities historically have. A non-believer may value a country's established church as part of its heritage. And religious views on politics can be economically left, right or centre.
The Secular pole
People scoring towards Secular typically believe that laws should never be justified solely by religious texts, that public schools and government buildings should be religiously neutral, that religious organisations should be treated like other organisations for tax and legal purposes, and that science should guide public decisions where it is relevant. Items such as "Laws should never be justified by religious texts" and "Religious symbols should not be displayed in government buildings" sit here.
Marxism-Leninism scores most strongly Secular, reflecting official state atheism in its historical regimes; this is very different from liberal secularism, which protects religious freedom. Technocracy, anarcho-communism, progressivism, libertarian socialism and cosmopolitanism also lean Secular. Classical liberals and libertarians lean Secular mainly because they want the state to stay out of religious matters altogether.
The Religious pole
People scoring towards Religious typically believe that a society without shared religious values loses its moral compass, that religious leaders and communities should have a voice in public policy, and that public life should reflect a society's religious heritage. Items such as "A society without shared religious values loses its moral compass" and "Religious leaders should have a voice in public policy" sit here.
Theocratic traditionalism sits at the extreme. Christian democracy and distributism lean clearly Religious, drawing on Catholic social teaching. National conservatism and conservatism also lean this way. Importantly, most positions near this pole operate within democratic and pluralist systems; only the extreme end seeks religious rule.
The middle
A middle score often reflects a view that religion and state should be institutionally separate, but that religious arguments are legitimate in public debate and that religious communities make valuable contributions to society. This "benevolent neutrality" or "cooperative separation" model is common in many European countries, where states fund religious schools or collect church taxes while protecting freedom of religion.
Models of church and state
Countries handle religion and state in different ways. Strict separation, as in France's laïcité (law of 1905) or the US First Amendment's Establishment Clause, keeps religion out of state institutions. Cooperation models, as in Germany, give recognised religious communities a public status, including church taxes and religious education in schools. Established churches, as in England or Denmark, maintain an official religion while guaranteeing freedom for others. Religious states base law partly on religious sources. Your score on this axis gives a rough indication of which model you prefer.
A short history of the debate
For most of history, religion and political authority were closely intertwined. The Protestant Reformation and the wars of religion in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe led thinkers like John Locke to argue for toleration. The American and French revolutions created influential secular frameworks. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw battles over religious control of schools, marriage law and public morality. Since the late twentieth century, debates have focused on abortion, same-sex marriage, religious dress, blasphemy laws and the role of faith-based organisations in delivering public services.
A common misreading
A Secular score isn't a measure of disbelief. Many believers score Secular because they think faith is harmed by state involvement.
How the test measures it
Items cover religion in law, schools, public buildings, taxation, medical decisions, blasphemy, criticism of religious groups and the relationship between morality and religion. Items are worded about public policy rather than personal belief, and are worded in both directions.
How to read your score
Scores run from −100 (Religious) to +100 (Secular). A strongly Secular score suggests you want religion kept firmly out of public institutions. A strongly Religious score suggests you want religious values to shape law and public life. Moderate scores suggest a preference for accommodation or cooperation.
Questions to reflect on
- Should laws be justified only with reasons that people of all faiths can accept?
- Should public money fund religious schools?
- Can morality stand without religion?
- Should religious organisations get tax exemptions?