ABSTRACT
Many critics of secularism, alongside journalists and social scientists, speak of “secularists,” but who exactly are they? This chapter surveys groups and categories of people that are either assigned this identity, or assign this identity to themselves (and sometimes both). We start by looking at New Atheists and ask if they might be considered “non-secular atheists.” From there we survey the rise of the religiously unaffiliated or “Nones” and consider their relevance for political secularism. “Secular nationalists” in Israel are surveyed and the chapter proceeds to explore the school of thought known as Secular Humanism. The chapter ends by noting the common denominator that binds all these groups: a desire for freedom from religion.
