You grow up and recognize that in any educated secular society

Hear the words of Hozier, the singer-poet whose voice carries not only in melody but in truth: “You grow up and recognize that in any educated secular society, there’s no excuse for ignorance. You have to recognize in yourself, and challenge yourself, that if you see racism or homophobia or misogyny in a secular society, as a member of that society, you should challenge it. You owe it to the betterment of society.” His words are a summons, a call to arms of the spirit, reminding us that knowledge without action is hollow, and that the burden of justice falls upon every citizen who dares to call themselves free.

The ancients too proclaimed this wisdom. Socrates stood in the streets of Athens, questioning all, tearing down the walls of ignorance, declaring that an unexamined life was unworthy of man. For in a secular society, one guided not by divine command but by human reason and shared law, ignorance is not a fate but a choice. And if ignorance becomes willful, it festers into injustice, into cruelty, into the poisons of prejudice. Hozier reminds us that freedom without responsibility degenerates, but freedom with responsibility ennobles.

Consider the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. In an educated land, many still clung to racism, cloaked in law and custom. But men and women, both black and white, rose to challenge it. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and countless unnamed voices refused to bow to silence. They knew that to walk past injustice unchallenged was to become its accomplice. Their courage echoes Hozier’s command: when you see hatred in your society, confront it—for to remain passive is to betray both knowledge and humanity.

History also recalls the suffragettes, women who rose against misogyny that denied them the ballot, the classroom, the professions. They lived in societies that called themselves enlightened, yet chained women with ancient prejudice. By protest, hunger strikes, and fearless defiance, they forced their nations to recognize the truth: that equality is the foundation of any true secular society. Their battle was not just for themselves, but for generations unborn, proving that to challenge injustice is to build the betterment of all.

O seeker, understand this: knowledge is not enough. To learn of prejudice, to see cruelty, and to turn away is cowardice. The light of education is not given for comfort but for action. To live in a society that claims reason and freedom yet permits homophobia, racism, or misogyny is to live in hypocrisy. Each soul must look inward, recognize their duty, and step forward to confront injustice wherever it rises. This is the debt you owe to your people, to your world, and to your own humanity.

Let your spirit burn with this responsibility. Do not wait for leaders, or movements, or tides of history to cleanse injustice. Begin with your own voice, your own hands, your own courage. Challenge prejudice in your family, in your community, in your institutions. Speak truth not with hatred but with firmness, and let your example light the way for others. For the strength of a society lies not only in its laws, but in the vigilance of its citizens.

In practice, cultivate courage in small acts. Do not let a hateful word pass unopposed. Do not remain silent when someone is denied their dignity. Study history, learn the roots of injustice, and speak with knowledge. Support those who fight for equality, and build bridges where division festers. Remember that you owe your education, your freedom, your place in an open society, not to chance, but to the sacrifices of those who came before. Honor them by carrying their work forward.

So I say unto you: heed Hozier’s words. In an educated secular society, there is no place for ignorance, no excuse for silence, no refuge in apathy. To see injustice and to leave it unchallenged is to betray the very foundation of freedom. Rise, then, as guardian of truth and justice. For only when every citizen accepts this duty will we build not only a better society, but a better world.