Is God An Illusion Essay

Do No Harm Freud has made valuable contributions to the field of psychology; however, much of what Freud has said about complexes and stages have been called into question because they lack empirical support. Furthermore, Freud’s theories tend to have a fairly sexist bias. The idea that people seek a “father figure” is yet another example of Freud’s bias. The idea that God is an illusion and that religion is a neurosis is less based on empirical evidence than it is on personal perspectives and biases. It is therefore ironic that Freud attempts to debunk God on the basis of science yet so thoroughly comes short of using the scientific method. Is God an Illusion? Are the majority of human beings worldwide suffering from a mass neurosis? If Freud …show more content…
Even an atheist might find it extreme to claim that belief in God is a neurosis. Alternative explanations may be that belief in God is comforting and gives people’s life meaning. The thought that we are entirely alone throughout our struggles is not a comforting one. Furthermore, the afterlife allows us to find some measure of comfort in the loss of our loved ones. The afterlife gives believers a purpose in this life, and the comforting thought that we will be rewarded and punished for how we live our lives. Equating the need for meaning and greater purpose to a neurosis is pathologizing to an extreme …show more content…
At what point do we begin pathologizing what may be healthy behaviors? A look at empirical data suggests that religious people are psychically healthier and happier. What neurosis can be said to have healthier patients that those without it? Let’s look at this from the perspective of science: religion is a mass neurosis despite the empirical data that suggests that religion has positive psychological and physiological outcomes for the most of its patients. When the psychology profession start treating healthier and happier belief systems? Using the scientific method Freud can no more claim that religious belief is a neurosis than he can prove that God does not exist and is therefore an