Atheism and critques of religious belief Flashcards
What is atheism?
Atheism means without/no God.
What is weak atheism?
Weak atheism is simple scepticism, the abscence of belief in the existence of God.
What is strong atheism?
Strong atheism is often expressed as antitheism.
Why may someone adopt the position of atheism?
- The view that there is no such being to whom the description God can be given.
- All apparent experiences of God can be accounted for in other ways.
- The view that apparently contradictory states of affairs in the world count decisively against the existence of God.
- The view that believers in God are deluded.
- Dislike and distrust of organised religiob. #
- Holding false beliefs about God.
- A hatred of religious beliefs and believers.
How is the philosophical problem of atheism versus theism set out?
- If X cannot be proved to exist, then X does not exist.
- If X cannot be proved to exist, then X cannot be proved not to exist.
- If X cannot be proved not to exist, then X must exist.
- If X cannot be proved not to exist, then X may exist.
What is agnosticism?
Agnosticism holds that it is not possible to know whether God exists, or to know his nature.
What is Emile Durkheim’s critique of religious belief?
Emile Durkheim used a functional explanation of religiion, saying that it serves to preserve and unite the community. Religion is a force that creates a moral obligation in the individual to adhere to families demands. Belief in God creates a unified social system which believes that it owes it being to God.
Criticisms of Durkheim:
What are the criticisms of Durkheim’s view?
- Religious believers distinguish between membership of their religious community and belief in God.
- The theory does not explain how religious believers are sometimes prepared to go against the norms and laws of society and even to reject it.
What did Karl Marx say?
Karl Marx gave a projection interpretation of religion, explaining it as a way of shoring up capitalism and keeping individuals satisfied. God is the ‘opium of the masses’ - an invention of the human mind in order to satisfy emotional needs and used by the ruling classes to dominate and oppress their subjects by offering them an illusion of escape.
What are the criticisms of Marx’s view?
- In most societies, separation of church and state is far greater than Marx assumed.
- Libertarian theology proves that Marxism and Christianity can be blended to create a society for the oppressed without rejecting belief in God.
What did Dawkins say?
Dawkins is a fervent anti-theist. He wants people to stop believing in God based on the following arguments:
- God is not neccessary.
- Faith claims of religion are a reatreat from an evidence-based quest for the truth.
- The issue of purpose and significance lies in humanity itself.
- The virus of religion - leads to evil, extremism and terror.
What did Kierkegaard say?
- Offered a religious criticism of Christianitrty.
- Didn’t like the way in which the middle and advantaged classes assumed that they were favoured by God and his natural order.
- That confuses the imperfect and limited human society with the ultimate.
- Christianity suggests we just have to be good Christians.
What did Nietzche say?
- Religion is based on the slave revolt in morals.
- The weak want to get revenge on the powerful.
- Gives them a false sense of satisfaction.
What did Hume say?
- Hume represented a shift in modern philosophy which did not accept traditional Christianity.
- Hume thought religion was inherently flawed.
. Political and eschatological motives mean people are simply adhering to religion for selfish reasons.
What are other arguments for the non-existence of God?
- Science and rationalism.
- Modernism rejects the literal use and understanding of many religious terms, claiming they are merely representations of outdated mythological concepts.
