Furthermore, Wilson points out other statistical evidence, the attendance of religious gatherings such as weddings, baptism etc has also declined in the last five decades. On the other hand David Martin argues that statistics on church membership are normally recorded by the church themselves, and each church have their own method of collecting data, so putting all the data together from other churches, in addition the method of collection have changed over the years making the statistics hard to compare, therefore making the statistics not valid, reliable or representative.
Another disadvantage of using statistics is that the evidence is contradictory. If you look at the overall picture of religion and if it is or not declining, we need to look at all the other religions. There are other religions that have been increasing in number, but these statistics only show the Christian Churches, again this is making the statement that secularisation is happening somehow untrue.
Another main reason why people may think the religion is declining in society today is because the advancement of science. Before people did not know how things work so religion use to explain things, now science has helped explain how things work or came about in detail with evidence making people realise that religion is not the answer to everything. Wilson agrees that the growth of ‘rational’ or scientific ways of thinking have reduced the influence of religious beliefs on modern mans behaviour, therefore coming to secularization.
It is illustrated by Weber that modernisation involved ‘replacement of irrational and emotional modes of thought such as religious beliefs with rationalization and intellectualisation’ in other words Weber describes in modern day people are beginning to understand things through science and rationalisation rather than religious reasons. He also explains that people in the olden days use to believe in mystical things but now scientific knowledge and technology explain the previous unexplainable, for example we are more likely to turn to technology of a land irrigation scheme rather than a rain dance.
However, it is argued that the advancement of science and rationalisation does not mean that people do not believe in supernatural. For example more people believe in horoscopes now than they were fifty years ago, there are other forms of supernaturalism that have formed over the recent years. To put it simply, rationalisation does not mean for secularization. Thomson agrees and argues that Wilson probably exaggerates the rationality of modern science.
Burger and Luckmann suggest that although religion cannot explain everything, religious beliefs is still needed to provide us ‘a universal meaning’ in understanding the world. This universal meaning may result in more religious beliefs or personalised forms of religion such as yoga, meditation etc.
The disengagement of the church from wider society may explain why secularization is happening. According to Wilson we can measure secularization by looking at how religious institutions have declined in terms of political power especially the state. As noted before the church had a key role in history over education, health and social services as well as moral guidance. Nowadays the government has set different organisations to take over some these roles, for example the NHS provides free health care service, the benefit system helping the disadvantaged people and many more, and because of this the church has lost its status. On the whole Wilson argues that the church occupies a marginal status in modern society and it only has a symbolic value only.
On the other hand, people are still attending church despite of this, so now people are attending church for the right reasons. Support for this is confirmed by Talcott Parsons. He said that the church now can mainly focus on religious practices thus making it stronger.
In the past religion was monolithic, substitutes were suppressed. Nowadays, there is a multiplicity of denominations and sects as well as other mainstream religions. Peter Berger argues that these different religions undermine the credibility of religious beliefs. That religion is loosing its influence therefore becoming different sects and cults of the same religion.
Some people argue that ‘religion is in a state of change rather than a state of decline. Religion is adapting to peoples different needs, so that is the reason for the growth of religious pluralism, again this does not mean secularisation. Also G.K. Nelson says that society is experiencing ‘on outburst of religiosity unique in human history’ this implies to new religious movements that have formed into sect and cults, he says that human beings looking for new ways of satisfying their religious needs. So the growth of new religious movements does not mean that religion is declining, in fact it is growing in different ways. On the other hand it is said that sects and cults are short lived as there are many factors which make these new religions die out such as the leaders of the new religious movements dies therefore the religions does not go further as they cannot fond a charismatic leader that can live up to the expectations or there is a mass murder within the group etc.
To sum up secularisation can not be true statement of society today as the factors noted before show that there are arguments for both sides. It is said by Thompson that the whole secularisation debate hinges on the definition of religion; inclusive religion as a universe of meaning, an extremely broad definition therefore difficult to measure. Or, Exclusive concerned with actions obviously religious e.g. participation in organised established religion. Many sociologist such as Wilson believes that secularisation is happening in society today, however others argue that the definition of secularisation is too broad and Wilson uses methodological tools i.e. statistical analysis are too crude.
