Secular Voices on Air: The British Debate on Thought for the Day

Abstract

The term ‘secular’ has long been interpreted in academia either as opposition towards religion or as a neutral position. As a Western concept deeply entangled with Christianity, its application to non-Christian and non-Western societies is highly contested. In our first case study, we analyse the British debate about including non-religious belief groups in the radio segment Thought for the Day. The bbc conceives secular as opposition to or absence of religion, whereas secularist groups argue secular worldviews should be treated on par with religious ones.