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Posted on 05/06/2018 1:49:30 PM PDT by pcottraux
Is Christianity Just Wishful Thinking?
By Philip Cottraux
Sigmund Freud devoted his life to studying the intricate workings of the human mind. He is responsible for many of the common psychological terms saturating modern culture: the id, the ego, the superego. The Oedipus complex.
But in recent years, many of Freud’s ideas have come under scrutiny. Some have taken it as far as to suggest that most of his theories were made up. His influence has been so strong, however, that it’s hard to sort out what might have been pseudo-science. But I want to focus on Freud’s other notorious reputation: his controversial views on religion.
To say that he despised religion would be an understatement. He viewed it as an aberration on humanity. He blamed belief in God on all of society’s ills. Here are a few of his nastier quotes on the subject:
“Religion is an illusion and it derives its strength from the fact that it falls in with our instinctual desires (New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, 1933).”
"The whole thing (religion) is so patently infantile, so foreign to reality, that to anyone with a friendly attitude to humanity it is painful to think that the great majority of mortals will never be able to rise above this view of life. It is still more humiliating to discover how a large number of people living today, who cannot but see that this religion is not tenable, nevertheless try to defend it piece by piece in a series of pitiful rearguard actions (Civilization and Its Discontents, 1929)."
Reading Freud, it’s surprising how much influence he has had not just on psychology, but neo-Atheism. Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris borrow directly from him, and I’ve been surprised at how many atheists have challenged me with a Freudian theory, whether they realize it or not. According to Freud, religious rites attempting to achieve salvation are akin to obsessive compulsive rituals, such as constantly washing one’s hands to get rid of imaginary germs. It was Freud who proposed that religion was holding science back; and that once it was gone, humanity could spring forward into a utopia of reason.
I’m no humanist; and as a result, I would never buy into the last claim, even if I were an atheist. The reality is that there will never be a utopia and scrubbing religion from the face of the earth doesn’t look very pleasant; North Korea, Cambodia, and the Soviet Union have all shown us that. Furthermore, even if a utopia were achievable, it would never be sustainable; the human mind isn’t wired to just sit around and be content with biological needs being met. If humans ever built a perfect world, they would soon tear it apart again out of sheer boredom. And the results would be catastrophic; untold numbers dead to reach paradise, untold numbers more dead as paradise is lost.
But Freud’s explanations of how religious thought emerges from the inner workings of the human mind were admittedly good points. So good, in fact, that they even had me questioning my own faith for a time, something I once never thought possible.
To sum it up, belief in God can be explained as an evolutionary trait that emerges from our inner desire to follow a strong alpha male. Our inner tribal man yearns to form packs; and as civilization advanced and tribes were no longer necessary, we created an imaginary one to replace male leaders. I personally find this very problematic (as it’s clear from history that any successful civilization had strong male leaders; I don’t see how this ever needed replacing in the human psyche), but it’s the second part of the point that I find feasible. According to Freud, belief in the afterlife emerged from our basic fear of death. Sense the instincts towards survival and self-preservation are prevalent in all life, the concept of heaven emerged as a coping mechanism from our inability to accept the finality of death.
This is a good point, and considering it did once have a terrible negative impact on my faith. Freud’s conclusion is that ultimately, Christianity is wishful thinking. He points to our belief in the afterlife as a survival mechanism and our talks of a loving Father as an attempt to recapture our childhoods, wanting to be loved by a parental figure that we project onto an imaginary pie in the sky.
(If you want to get technical, the “wishful thinking” argument can be traced as far back as German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach in 1841; but since Freud is more famous for it, let’s keep the focus on him).
But if Freud’s psychological theories are finding increasing scrutiny by new researchers, can the same be said of his atheist philosophy?
Actually, it was within his own lifetime.
C.S. Lewis devotes all of chapter 4 of Mere Christianity (“Morality and Psychoanalysis”) to Freud. In his takedown, he says something that resonates with me today: “And furthermore, when Freud is talking about how to cure neurotics he is speaking as a specialist on his own subject, but when he goes on to talk general philosophy he is speaking as an amateur.”
I think this all the time about atheists today. I don’t deny that Dawkins knows a lot about biology. Or that Sam Harris is well-versed in neuroscience. But both men seem to think that makes them geniuses in all fields of understanding. In the realm of theology, neither clearly knows what he’s talking about. It’s the classic case of an emperor without clothes.
Back to Freud. He was born of a Jewish family in the heavily Roman Catholic of Freiburg, Moravia. Lewis noted that Freud showed a startlingly lack of understanding about Christianity when he wrote about it. Upon careful observation, I notice the same thing.
In Thank God For Atheists: How the World’s Greatest Skeptics Led Me to Faith, Timothy Morgan makes a devastatingly good point about the wishful thinking argument: “This worn-out argument has been thoroughly refuted over the last 175 years. Even Nietzsche called it preposterous. First, wanting something does not equate with the lack of its existence. Human thirst actually points to a need for water.”
Lewis also had this to say: “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
After studying it closely, the real problem I have with Freud’s criticism is that he assumed that Christianity is about the pursuit of comfort and pleasure. It’s why he thought we view God as a warm, comforting presence that loves and accepts us for who we are. This, of course, overlooks the full, sometimes terrifying nature of the Almighty, that He is also capable of horrifying judgment and that Christians are, in some ways, to fear the Lord.
But there’s two other critical points Freud ignored.
While I’m a Christian, if I stand back and compare it objectively to all the other religions, I have trouble wanting it to be true. It contains perhaps the most brutal realities. Rather than a pursuit of comfort, it expects us to take on a life of pain, suffering, and persecution. It tells us people will hate us and reject us for preaching in the name of Jesus. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Mark 13:13).
There was no comfort for the disciples in what they endured for Christ. Stephen was stoned. Peter was arrested and beaten. James was executed. Acts 5:41: And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness (II Corinthians 11:23-27).
The other uncomfortable reality Christian doctrine is a place called hell. Every day, I wish hell weren’t real. I take no pleasure in the thought that anyone will burn in eternal darkness. I sometimes can’t believe that the God I love so much created it. The thought of how many people have gone there, and how many are going there every day, and how they will never escape, is incredibly disturbing. More than I can bear.
But what I think, or what I want, is irrelevant. Hell is real, whether I like it or not. And my discomfort has to motivate me to preach as hard as I can. I want the Lord to use me to save as many people as possible from that eternal place. And I must be willing to pay the same kind of price the apostles were to keep as many from going there as possible.
And why I think it’s real isn’t a coping mechanism, but as I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, based on the evidence. The simple logic I keep reiterating is that by examining the historical evidence, Jesus clearly was a real person in history who actually rose from the dead, proving He was who He said He was. Which means all things He says are truth. Which means heaven is real. And so is hell. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41).
Great testimony, thank you for sharing. I love to hear perspectives on Christianity from people who have experienced every other belief system in the world and found them lacking.
I’m glad there’s still some civil discussion in the world. It’s the Wild West on social media. I’ve been called every vile disgusting name you can imagine on Twitter by atheists and told to go to unspeakable things to myself. Over time I just had to learn to ignore it.
It would be interesting to be able to do an in-person lecture rather than over the anonymity of the internet, where cyberbullying can all-too-easily emerge.
Amen, amen, and amen!
Freud came up with most of his theories because he was trying to hide his diddling of women who weren’t his wife. Yes cocaine addiction plays an important part in that
And by the way....Thomas Jefferson did not impregnate Sally. It was one of his relatives a brother or an uncle
Well even if it’s true, it’s still not as dumb as his support for the French Revolution.
Or hus yeoman farmers program.
Matthew 7:
[15] Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
[17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
[18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
[20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Lawlessness)
Matthew 24:
[11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
[12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Endure to the end in what fashion?
Endure in slopping up all the grace you can find?
Or endure in Yehova’s covenant?
Tough choice! I'll pick enduring in the Father's commandments, as Yeshua suggested in ch 7.
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One thing there is zero doubt about is Yehova’s name!
It is found in Tanakh thousands of times many with full vowels.
It is also found in the Hebrew original versions of the gospels with vowels, which we now have available thanks to the digitizations of all the MS in the Vatican archives.
You want to promote the adversary’s false attack on his name? Be my guest!
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Do you think perhaps the Utopian fantasy is some kind of innate longing for a return to Eden? I mean, a Utopia without God IS impossible just as the idea that humans are capable of creating such a thing knowing the propensity we have naturally towards depravity. If we could ever create such a place, it wouldn't take long for the worst among us to destroy it.
Lay off the personal abuse!
Your little nasty attack on me has been reported.
I think when we are faced with the vile and disgusting attacks from non-believers, it helps to remember where (who?) their anger and hate comes from. They realize - intrinsically, perhaps - that they have made a choice and the consequences of the wrong one are dire. Pasqual’s wager.
Look buddy. I get it. You’re really really emotionally invested in this Rood guy. I have no idea why you are, but to be honest, that’s not really my business. And you hate it when people contradict him, as your accusations on this thread of people being in league with Satan show.
But quite frankly, his teachings don’t stand up to scrutiny, and I’m not gonna lie to you about Rood’s lack of evidence or lack of convincing arguments just so you can feel good about yourself.
Follow the man if you like, but stop calling people demonic just because you can’t convince us to do the same.
I think when we are faced with the vile and disgusting attacks from non-believers, it helps to remember where (who?) their anger and hate comes from. They realize - intrinsically, perhaps - that they have made a choice and the consequences of the wrong one are dire. Pasqual’s wager.
***
One of them is on this very thread!
Yes, and they used the word ‘Adonai’ when using the Lord’s name, because they didn’t want to say the Lord’s name out loud, so they used the vowel markings for ‘Adonai.’
I know my history.
Also, lay off the personal abuse before you get the thread locked again.
What makes you think I believe all it takes is an "intellectual belief"? The demons believe that there is a God and they all know who Jesus Christ is and they tremble because they KNOW their end, but I think we both know demons were never redeemed by Christ's sacrifice - it was not meant for them.
What you cling to is your false assurance that you can make yourself worthy of God's grace by your works and "obedience". Paul says you have fallen from grace along with all those who think the same way. God wants us to surrender to the truth that we are incapable of saving ourselves and we must throw ourselves upon the mercy of God, trusting in HIM and not ourselves. That's the only way GRACE works. Until you open your heart to this truth you will continue to strive for the unattainable.
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