Philosophy of Religion - Hick: Ch. 3 (B)

(Originally written January 31, 2007 in Book 7)

Philosophy of Religion
John Hick
Chapter 3 (continued)

The Freudian Theory of Religion

Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) regarded religious beliefs as "illusions, fulfillment's of the oldest, strongest, and most insistent wishes of mankind" (Hick, 34).

Religion is a mental defense against the threatening aspects of nature, i.e. earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.

Religion is the "universal obsessional neurosis of humanity" (Hick, 34).

Freud associated religion with the universal Oedipus complex of mankind.

Freud saw faith as a 'psychological crutch'.

The Challenge of Modern Science

The Biblical writers have a pre-scientific worldview and their account of nature must be separated from their divine inspiration.

The more science discovered, the more the Church opposed. But, critically thinking deists and Christians can piece together science and faith.

The sciences have cumulatively shows that nature can be studied without any reference to God. But does it follow from this that there is no God?

God could have epistemically distanced himself from man and created a relatively autonomous universe which man can exist in with a degree of independence.

God could have created man as free and responsible beings in an autonomous universe.

Science can neither confirm or deny the existence of God.

Miracles can be shown to be either compatible or incompatible with an autonomous universe. It is based on the use of the term 'miracle'. If 'miracle' is defined as a breach of natural law, one can declare a priori that there are no miracles.

A school of theological thought maintains that miracles presuppose faith. They are an inner understanding of a natural, however odd, event. They are not an evangelical tool.

One can neither prove or disprove (conclusively) the existence of God.