Component 2: Philosophy of Religion   Theme 2 – Booklet 4 Theme 2: Challenges to religious belief – Religious belief as a product of the human mind – Booklet 4

Evaluation Freud Religious belief can be harmful Religion oppresses Challenges to Freud Defence of Freud Benefits of religions   Freud’s theories have been proved wrong Freud did not consider all religions Freud was not objective Limited evidence Religious belief can be harmful   Religion oppresses Freud’s work lead to greater understanding of the mind

Evaluating Jung Archetypes Religious experience Individuation Challenges to Jung Defence of Jung Archetypes Religious experience Individuation Reductivism Unscientific More positive about religion than Freud Didn’t claim it was all about sex – (which says more about Freud’s obsessional neuroses than it does about religion – Peter Moore)

Evaluating atheism/ New Atheism Strengths of atheism/ New Atheism Challenges to atheism/ New Atheism Religion is not necessary Religion is a retreat from science Religion give an impoverished world view Religion is a virus or a meme Religion is a bad thing Religion is necessary to explain the why questions – NOMA   Religion is based on sound arguments – religious apologists The religions world view is full of awe and wonder McGrath – Dawkins meme idea is not based on sound science Religion is a good thing