Scholars - Secularisation

Why do Freud and Dawkins claim that religion is bad for society?

infantile, illusory, irrational non-thinking wish fulfilment

What quote does Freud use to describe where religion comes from?

“ignorant childhood days of the human race”

Who believes that religious belief comes from fear of death, not rational thought?

Freud & Dawkins

Who believes that religious belief can be rational?

McGrath

• Aquinas’ 5 ways - God is reasonable and rational

Who converted to religion later in life?

McGrath &

• clearly serious intellectual philosophers who start believing in God because of thinking

Why are Freud and Dawkins wrong to dismiss all religion as irrational and childish?

many religious believers have a sophisticated and rational belief in God - many people turn to religion for purpose, meaning and moral guidance

Who believes that religion can play a role in prejudice and violence?

Dawkins

• encourages you to view those who aren’t in your religion as different - danger and can cause wars

• e.g. The Thirty Years’ War - constituted as a series of terrible conflicts in central Europe filled by religious differences

What is Dawkins quote that describes God in the Old Testament?

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction”

How does McGrath counter Dawkins idea that religion is harmful?

Life of Jesus - role model for Christians and he was loving to everyone no matter who they were or what their background was

• Dawkins unfairly focuses on extremists and fundamentalists

What perspective is McGrath defending when saying religion doesn’t lead to harm?

Sophisticated Liberal Christian perspective - who doesn’t take the prejudiced passages in the Bible literally

What a contemporary example to show that society is not free from harm by religious fundamentalism?

overturning of Roe Vs Wade

How do Dawkins and Harris counter McGrath’s defence of modern christians?

even modern Christians are a problem - they push the idea that faith should be respected and dignified

• this covers for the extremists - who also can argue their faith should be respected

What does Freud believe about religion within society?

cause of neuroses - society’s conflict

• encourages people to follow moral law for the good of society; childish fearfulness of hell is not necessary and can be psychologically harmful

• e.g. Atheistic Countries (Northern Europe) - lowest crime rates, compared to religious countries which have the worst crime rates

How does Jung criticise Freud’s idea that religion is infantile?

instrumental in growth and development into happy individuals

What example does Jung use to prove that religion can be good for us?

e.g. Cain and Abel story - envy can lead us to do terrible things, even murder

• this story helps people not to repress their envy, but to acknowledge it healthily

Is Jung’s optimism about religion been proven more successful than Freud’s pessimism?

yes - modern culture struggles to maintain meaning and purpose in their life without religion

• religion helps us to navigate finding purpose

What quote does McGrath say which describes why humans commit violence?

“Human beings are capable of both violence and moral excellence - and both of these may be provoked by worldviews”

Why can Secular societies be seen just as bad as religious societies?

not valid to judge all religion for its extremists, when non-religious worldviews can be equally provoking of extreminism

Who does Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) use as an example of ‘atheist extremists’?

Nazis

• McGrath - rise of secularism in Germany did not make the society better, it became worse!

What does Hitchens suggest to explain why religion creates issues in society?

religion is not the sole cause or reason for war and conflict - but belief that God is on your side will make you certain that you are right and that you have a right to dominate others (encourages extremism)

• religion is a ‘force multiplier’

How does Bonhoeffer use the idea of the ‘western void’ to support secularism as dangerous?

total secularism leaves only human option

• we need both religion and spiritual values as a source and anchor for human social values

How does Harris support the idea of Secularism as more successful then religious countries?

best countries to live in in terms of markers of social health are some of the most atheistic

• Northern European countries have some of the best in the developed world for low income equality

What does Dawkins believe about faith schools?

faith schools do not teach science proper

• e.g. Islamic school

What quote does Dawkins use to describe how schools should teach their students?

“comparative way according to a national curriculum, not indoctrination”

Why does Dawkins claim bringing up a child in a certain religion was child abuse?

• prevented their development of critical thinking

• terrifying children with the threat of hell

• absurd to call a child communist or right-wing, same absurdity should be held to religion

Does McGrath agree with Dawkins that parents indoctrinating their children to religion is wrong?

Yes - religious belief, like all beliefs, should be subject to evidence-based reasoning and that blind faith is not truly Christian

How many religious people are born into their faith?

90%

How many schools in the UK are faith schools?

1/3

Is Dawkins argument about making children frightened of Hell successful?

Yes - many ex-Christians even need to seek therapy to overcome their fear of going to hell; since it can cause trauma, calling it child abuse is valid

Is Dawkins successful when talking about children being indoctrinated by religion?

Yes - correct about the overall negative influence of religion on society regarding the raising of children