Theory

• Freud - encouraged secularism

  • religion is the cause of neuroses (a mental illness causing anxiety and obsessive behaviour)
  • science will later be able to answer all key questions because psychoanalysis will “cure” people of religious belief
  • religion is wish-fulfilment, it a reflection of our subconscious projecting into our concision minds, eg. a daydream
  • religion is a “universal obsessional neurosis“
  • religion is unhealthy and this leads to negativity within society, religion has been the cause of many of society’s conflicts
• Dawkins - encouraged secularism

  • rejects this he need for a creator God, given the evidence for evolution and the increased understanding of scientific principles
  • religious belief is problematic for society
  • it causes war and conflict
  • it holds back children, it is a form of child abuse because parents label their children before they can think for themselves
  • evidence against Genesis demonstrates the ignorance of Christians
  • argues it is time for faith education to be replaced
• Dawkins

  • opposes the idea that Christianity's contribution to British society should be ignored
  • opposes the idea that Christianity should be a driving force in shaping the society of tomorrow because it is time we moved beyond religious ideals