Atheistic Critiques of Religious Belief

Question 1

Define atheism

Answer 1

Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.

Question 2

Define anti-theism

Answer 2

Antitheism is active opposition to theism. The term has had a range of applications; in secular contexts, it typically refers to direct opposition to organised religion or to the belief in any deity, while in a theistic context, it sometimes refers to opposition to a specific god or gods.

Question 3

Who coined the term Agnosticism

Answer 3

Thomas Huxley

Question 4

Define agnosticism

Answer 4

A religious orientation of doubt; a denial of ultimate knowledge of the existence of God; “agnosticism holds that you can neither prove nor disprove God’s existence”

Question 5

What does Feuerbach say about religion

Answer 5

• Religion is a delusion

- God is a projection

Question 6

What book does Sigmund Freud present his criticism

Answer 6

The Future of An Illussion

Question 7

What is religion according to Freud

Answer 7

• obsessionality
• illusion
• Universal neurosis

Question 8

What are Freud’s Three Main criticisms of religion

Answer 8

1) Overcome inner neurosis
2) Manner of coping (man is dependent to ‘make his helplessness tolerable’)
3) Result of psychological impulses

Question 9

What is Peter Moore’s criticism of Freud

Answer 9

Freud’s need to explain everything through sex, tells us more about his obsessional neurosis than ours

Question 10

What is Kate Loventhanl’s criticism of Freud

Answer 10

PROJECTIVE religion is immature whilst INTRINSIC religion is serious and reflective

Question 11

According to Carl Jung what is God

Answer 11

an ARCHETYPE (hero figure)

Question 12

Where does God exist according to Jung

Answer 12

• within the COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS (events we ALL share)

- Brings society together, yet doesn’t exist outside of the mind

Question 13

What are some criticisms for Jung

Answer 13

• Some people are persecuted for their faith (they don’t appear to fit within the collective unconscious)

Question 14

What is TOTEMISM

Answer 14

• Simplest form of religion according to DURKHEIM

- Heart of religion is a set of attitudes, acts as central to society (sacred centre not what is NOT)

Question 15

What does MALINWOSKI and VILFREDO PARETO) class religion as

Answer 15

• A pseudo- science- pretends to be a science

- Primitive, relate to anxiety in the face of situations where nothing can be done (also creates anxiety)

Question 16

What is NATURISM

Answer 16

Natural events (lightning, earthquake etc) make a striking impact on people- create an impulse for religion (MAX MULLER)

Question 17

What is ANIMISM

Answer 17

Original belief in some type of spirit (EDWARD TYLOR)

Question 18

Who wrote ‘The God Delusions’

Answer 18

Richard Dawkins

Question 19

Outline 5 of Dawkins KEY views

Answer 19

• Religion is protected by an abnormally thick wall of undeserved respect.
• Religious Belief is NOT necessary (only a social MEME, the Darwinian world makes God unnecessary)
• Can’t be disproven (NOR can the FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER)
• Purpose should be an ONGOING question, not just fixed (‘There is a purpose, the propagation of DNA’)
• Religion is a VIRUS (leads to evil, God is ‘jealous, vindictive, misogynistic, homophobic, a bully etc’)

Question 20

What are some criticisms of Dawkins

Answer 20

• Just as dogmatic as religion
• Popularist NOT academic
• Takes scripture out of context