and [he] had been given a brand new life.” As a result of this rebirth, he claimed he was liberated from the weight of his previous life and able to “move forward” in his new, religious life. (Prittie) This analogy between conversion and birth demonstrates the connection between faith and childhood. Freud asserts that religious beliefs are “born from man 's need to make his helplessness tolerable and built up from the material of memories of the helplessness of his own childhood and the childhood of the human race.” (23) Prittie 's anecdote contained the conviction that religion contributes to relief from hardship and, moreover, that a benevolent God intervened to provide him guidance by adopting him as His “child.” Religion is derived from the realization that we are never free from the perpetual vulnerability we experienced as children, because the outside world never ceases to be alien and overwhelming. To cope with this, we attribute to the incomprehensible forces of nature paternal characteristics and the role of a protector. (30) Not only was this extension of childhood into adulthood recognized by Prittie, but it was praised and encouraged, as later in his sermon he besought the parish to embody the purity of a child 's faith in Christ. (Prittie) The perpetuation of religious belief requires that humanity 's growth remain stunted in the childhood stage of
and [he] had been given a brand new life.” As a result of this rebirth, he claimed he was liberated from the weight of his previous life and able to “move forward” in his new, religious life. (Prittie) This analogy between conversion and birth demonstrates the connection between faith and childhood. Freud asserts that religious beliefs are “born from man 's need to make his helplessness tolerable and built up from the material of memories of the helplessness of his own childhood and the childhood of the human race.” (23) Prittie 's anecdote contained the conviction that religion contributes to relief from hardship and, moreover, that a benevolent God intervened to provide him guidance by adopting him as His “child.” Religion is derived from the realization that we are never free from the perpetual vulnerability we experienced as children, because the outside world never ceases to be alien and overwhelming. To cope with this, we attribute to the incomprehensible forces of nature paternal characteristics and the role of a protector. (30) Not only was this extension of childhood into adulthood recognized by Prittie, but it was praised and encouraged, as later in his sermon he besought the parish to embody the purity of a child 's faith in Christ. (Prittie) The perpetuation of religious belief requires that humanity 's growth remain stunted in the childhood stage of