1 Explore one critique of religion. (8)
1 Explore different critiques of religious belief. (8)
Religious beliefs have existed for centuries and, for theists, are indicative of the existence of divine being. In recent times, religious beliefs have been questioned and some scholars believe that there may be alternative explanations for religious beliefs.
Sociologist Durkheim argued that religion serves to unite the community. He believed that it creates a force within individuals that then creates a sense of moral obligation to meet the demands of society. Durkheim asserted that there is no separate entity called God, God and society are the same thing. What exists is a system that believes it owes its creation to God.
Marx believed that God was an invention of the human mind to satisfy our emotional needs. He described religion as the ‘opiate of the people’ as he argued that it served to distract people from their oppression by the ruling classes and promised them a better experience in the afterlife. This belief was meant to distract them from starting a revolution. He argued that capitalism needs religion as it justifies the social order and a person’s place within it; the original version of the hymn ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful contained the line, ‘The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate’ as an example of religion’s way of justifying the differing social order.
Freud believed that religion is a projective system, it is an illusion created by humans. It works on suppressing anti-social impulses by inducing a sense of fear and guilt. He believed that religion feeds off people’s fears of helplessness and death by making them believe that there is a God and an afterlife.
1 Explore the key ideas of TWO critiques of religious belief (8)
1 Explore Dukheim's claims about the the respective strengths and weaknesses of religious beliefs . (8)
1 Explore Durkheim’s and Weber’s understanding of the nature and role of religion in society. (8)
1 Explore sociological explanations of belief in God. (8)
1 Explore Marx's claims about the the respective strengths and weaknesses of religious beliefs . (8)
1 Explore Freuds claims about the the respective strengths and weaknesses of religious beliefs . (8)
1 Explore psychological understandings of religion. (8)
1 Explore Freud’s conclusions about the nature of religious belief. . (8)
1 Explore how psychology accounts for the existence of religious belief (8)
1 Explore how sociologists account for the existence of religious belief (8)
1 Explore an alternative sociological OR psychological explanations of religion. (8)
1 Explore the strengths OR weakness of the sociological explanation of religion. (8)
1 Explore the strengths OR weakness of the psychological explanation of religion. (8)
1 Explore the issues of probability in issues critiques of religious beliefs. (8)
1 Explore the postmodern interpretations of religion. (8)
1 Explore the weaknesses of the postmodern critique of religion. (8)
1 Explore the difference between Atheism and Agnosticism. (8)
1 Explore the meaning and significance of humanism. (8)
1 Explore the differences types of atheism. (8)
1 Explore the difference between strong and weak Atheism. (8)
1 Explore the agnostic view of religious belief (8)
1 Explore Dawkins claims about the the respective strengths and weaknesses of religious beliefs . (8)
1 Explore the ideas of Dawkins in relation to Atheism. (8)
1 Explore Richard Dawkins critique of religion. (8)
1 Explore the suspicion of religion by Westphal. (8)
1 Explore the difference between suspicion and scepticism of religion in the thought of Westphal. (8)
1 Explore the weakness of Richard Dawkins critique of religion. (8)
1 Explore the weakness of the suspicion of religion suggested by Westphal's critique of religion. (8)