Holyoake and secular Buddhism
I tend to look upon the Wests secularizing of Buddhism as a somewhat clandestine attempt colonize Buddhism by putting in its place, over time, the ideology of secularism. Here below the coiner of secularism, G.J. Holyoake (18171906), describes his term (this was during a debate between Holyoake and Bradlaugh in 1870).
"Secularism is not an argument against Christianity, it is one independent of it. It does not question the pretensions of Christianity, it advances others. Secularism does not say there is not light or guidance elsewhere, but maintains that there is light and guidance in Secular truth whose conditions and sanctions exist independently, act independently and act for ever. Secular knowledge is manifestly that kind of knowledge which is founded in this life, which relates to the conduct of this life, conduces to the welfare of this life, and is capable of being tested by the experience in this life" (Secularism, Scepticism, and Atheism by George Jacob Holyoake and Charles Bradlaugh, p. 74).
Some key points that secular Buddhism shares with Holyoke's vision is, first, that secular Buddhism pretty much sees itself as independent of important traditional Buddhist tenets such as karma and rebith. Secondly, secular Buddhism is based on knowledge that can be obtained in in this life which is capable of being tested by experience. Next, secular Buddhisms own light and guidance, like that of secularism, comes from mundane truths (we could even say science).
Whatever secular Buddhists wish to make of the importance of secularism, the scope of traditional Buddhism goes far beyond whatever benefits secularism claims to offer. Buddhism offers not only light and guidance (even psychological light and guidance), but also deep knowledge (jna/gnosis) of the transcendent that can be attained in this lifetime. Importantly, the transcendent found in Buddhism with the aid of meditation (dhyana) is completely spir! itual an d inwardly verifiable. All this is something secularism abstains from.
