Religious Crituqe

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Non religious critques come from atheists.
Atheist = greek = a = not - theos = God so therefore meaning without God or a lack of belief.
2 types of atheism
strong = strong opinion theres no God
Weak = no belief due to lack/absence

Question 2

Alternate to Atheist

Answer 2

agnostic = a unsure belief for Gods existence

Question 3

Reasons for a lack of belief

Answer 3

The problem of evil, lack of evidence, a self contradicting God and the moral argument
A movement within the 20th century saw doctrines gain the momentum to positively assert non existence of God

Question 4

Emile Durkheim

Answer 4

1858 - 1917
French Sociologist
‘Elementary forms of religious life’

Question 5

Durkheim argument

Answer 5

Argues that religion serves to unity and preserve the community, it acts as a means of social cohesion within society.
There is no separate entity called God, God is simply a social construct that humanity created.
Religion is something which provides a framework for the values and ideas held by God.
As an alternate to God, Durkheim stated society would be better understanding through a moral way.

Question 6

Karl Marx

Answer 6

German Sociologist

1818 - 1883

Question 7

Marx Argument

Answer 7

God is an invention of the human mind.
A way of satisfying the human emotional needs.
Marx saw religion as dis empowering, authority based and oppressing.
The upper class used religion as a way of mass control through the false promises of release such as heaven.
Marx stated freedom could only be achieved through loving each other.

Question 8

Sigmund Freud

Answer 8

1856 - 1939

Austrian Psychologist

Question 9

Freud Argument

Answer 9

Freud saw religion as an illusion of the mind.
Similar to Durkheim he saw religion with origins to the primitive tribes.
God has no reality and is simply a creation from wishful thinking.

Question 10

The Oedipus Complex

Answer 10

God is a father substitute.
Son is jealous of father and mother therefore overthrows father this leads to a feeling of guilt.
Therefore religion represses this guilty.
Freud says that while humanity depend on this illusion they will never be truly happy.

Question 11

Dawkins point

Answer 11

2 arguments

1: Dawkins would state that religion is unneccessary in a Darwinian world.Science provides all truth
2. Beliefs are faith claims rather than evidence, faith is dangerously outdated there is no need to look.

Question 12

Richard Dawkins

Answer 12

1941 - current
anti theist
british evolutionary biologist

Question 13

Ockhams Razor

Answer 13

William of Ockham
To understand something all unnecessary must be stripped back. To gain truth.
Stephen Hawkins supports this saying God cannot be observed so is unnecessary.

Question 14

Richard Swinburne

Answer 14

It is neccessary to seek God.

Everything needs an explanation and those without one must point towards one ultimate - this is God

Question 15

Coppleston

Answer 15

The world is ambiguous an ultimate explanation is possible and interesting and therefore completely reasonable.

Question 16

Critic to marx

Answer 16

religion is no longer neccessary in a capitalist society yet still exists, plus more open to interpretation.

Question 17

Critic to Durkheim

Answer 17

the primary loyalty is God not the community

Question 18

Freud

Answer 18

his atheism blinds his views - Hans Kung

Question 19

Problem of Evil

Answer 19

How can such evil happen if theres a God?

Question 20

Moral argument

Answer 20

Moral issues such as not saving people in Auschwitz but saving one single elderly in Lordes?

Question 21

Dawkins Quote

Answer 21

A unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things… beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called the church.

Question 22

Marx Quote

Answer 22

Religion is the opium of the people

Question 23

Marx second quote

Answer 23

The first requisite for the happiness of the poeple is the abolition of religion

Question 24

Freud Quote

Answer 24

for the individual life is hard to bear just as it is for mankind in general

Question 25

Freud second quote

Answer 25

make his helpless tolerable

Question 26

Dawkins Quote

Answer 26

i want people to stop believing

the talk of darwinism is to eliminate chance

Question 27

Ockhams Razor Quote

Answer 27

entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily

Question 28

Swinburne quote

Answer 28

human quest for an explanation inevitably and rightly seeks for the ultimate explanation of everything observable

Question 29

Hawkins quote

Answer 29

it seems better to employ the principle known as Ockhams Razor and cut out all the features of the theory which cannot be observed