Secularity

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The word "secular" is derived from the Latin word saeculum (age), and originally means "happening once in an age". This offers the opportunity for a confusing variety of meanings. A dog is "big" compared to an ant but not compared to an elephant, and "secular" is similarly subject to "relative to what?" ambiguity. But secular also means, in different contexts, long (relative to something else) because an "age" is a long time, and (relatively) short because an age is "not very long compared to eternity". Its usage often stands in contrast to the word sacred.

Related Topics:
Latin - Saeculum - Sacred

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~