work of scholars- context of religious belieg and points for discussion

Question 1

define atheism

Answer 1

this means no god. it refers to the viewpoint held by individuals that there is no god.

Question 2

define weak atheism

Answer 2

a viewpoint held by individuals whereby they do not believe god does exist but do not explicitly believe that god does not exist

Question 3

define strong atheism

Answer 3

a viewpoint held by individuals whereby they have an explicit and firm belief that God does not exist

Question 4

define anti-theism

Answer 4

the belief that there is no god, it is wrong to believe that god does exist and those who do should be corrected

Question 5

define unbelief

Answer 5

a lack of absence of religious belief

Question 6

define agnosticism

Answer 6

the belief that it is not possible to know whether god exists or not. agnostics might be open to the possibility of belief but feel they have insufficient knowledge or insight.

Question 7

what is the enlightenment period

Answer 7

the enlightenment period is known for having been one of the most influential periods of history regarding the development of thought. it was a time in which academia and politics experienced a shift to reason separate from religion. it saw huge shifts in the way in which science and philosophy were understood and introduced many conflict as a result of new thought meeting religion.

Question 8

what Is westphals essay

Answer 8

Westphal’s essay covers postmodern attitudes towards religion such as deism and scholasticism. it chronicles the attempts and wishes of Kant and Hume tofind universal principles in reaction to the englightenment thinking and religious conflicts of the time.

Question 9

what were Westphal’s three main principles in his essay?

Answer 9

1. the importance (and authority) of the use of human reason
2. tolerance of religion, among those who are religious and those who are not.
3. anticlericalism

Question 10

what is the issue of probability

Answer 10

there is not sufficient evidence that god does exist- he does not seem to want to make himself to known to people. therefor, it could be argued to be more probable that he does not exist

Question 11

what is the psychological critique of religious belief by Sigmund Freud?

Answer 11

Freud gave a projective rather than sociological explanation of religion. he argued that religion was an illusion and existed because believers have the psychological need to project their fears, anxieties and subconscious onto something greater than themselves as a way to relieve them. it is a way to cope with feelings of helplessness, our inner impulses and fears of death.

Question 12

what is naturalism

Answer 12

naturalism is the belief that true knowledge can only be gained through examination of the world around us. it considers belief based on supernatural knowledge to be incorrect as they cannot be empirically verified
it interprets religion as existing only in the natural world rather than pointing to a higher or other realm and is therefor a societal construct. it is likely to be concerned with how religion develops in different societies and what function or purpose it serves. this view is influential over sociological critiques of religion.

Question 13

what is materialism

Answer 13

it is the belief that only physical matters exists. it interprets humans to be made up of purely material substances. it denies the existence of non-material things such as God. therefor religious beliefs are purely the result of neurological and psychological factiors. this view is influential over pyshological crtiques of religion.

Question 14

who was Marx

Answer 14

Marx was a German philosopher and political theorist, but was most famous as a communist revolutionary.

Question 15

what is Marx’s sociological critique of religious belief

Answer 15

Marx interpreted religion to be utilised by the ruling classes to dominate and oppress the masses. religion served the function because it made the masses believe they could find escape and freedom through the afterlife offered by religion. this stopeed the masses rising up against the ruling classes to try to bring about greater equality ande challenge he socil order in this life.
when marx was writing workers did not have many rights and were often exploited by factory owners and social elites. if the workers had protested or gone on strike this would have caused a loss of money and power for the ruling class.

Question 16

what did Marx famously call religion?

Answer 16

marx called religion the ‘opium if the masses’. this means that religion is a drug that changes the outlook of believes and pacifies them.

Question 17

what does a sociological critique interpret religion as?

Answer 17

a sociological critique of religious belief interprets religion to be a sociological phenomenon; as existing and performing certain functions in society.

Question 18

what is Durkheim’s sociological critique of religion

Answer 18

Durkheim interpreted religion to be a way to:
1. hold and bind societies together
2. preserve and enforce the social and moral order
3. create a general cohesiveness between individuals
4. give meaning and purpose to lifet
this cohesiveness, unity and order are principally reinforced through societys performance of religious rituals. in rituials ordinary objects are imbued with sacred significance, such as the cross in Christianity. there is however, no divine reality behind such objects only the meaning of society which have been projected on them.

Question 19

what are strengths of belief

Answer 19

1. presence of order
2. presence of beauty in the world
3. innate morality
4. religious experiences
5. inspiring good words by believers

Question 20

What are weaknesses of belief

Answer 20

1. hallucinations could explain it better
2. existence of evil and suffering
3. the world could be argued to be better explained by science
4. prayers appear to not get answers.