Found this in preparing to teach my Psychology classes this week:
"Religious ideas are...illusions, fulfillments of the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes of mankind. The secret of their strength lies in the strength of those wishes. As we already know, the terrifying impression of helplessness in childhood aroused the need for protection--for protection through love--which was provided by the father; and the recognition that his helplessness lasts throughout life made it necessary to cling to the existence of a father, but this time a more powerful one. Thus the benevolent rule of a divine Providence allays our fear of the dangers of life; the establishment of a moral world-order ensures the fulfillment of the demands of justice, which have so often remained unfulfilled in human civilization; and the prolongation of earthly existence in a future life provides the local and temporal framework in which these wish-fulfillments shall take place."
--Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion, 1927.
The funny thing is, apart from his assertion that these wishes are illusory, he perfectly describes the power of our image of God the Father. I say, yes, God absolutely fulfills the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes I possess.
One more, from Voltaire this time:
"I want my attorney, my tailor, my servants, even my wife to believe in God, because then I shall be robbed and cuckolded less often." He once silenced a discussion of atheism until he had dismissed his servants, just in case they lost their faith and so their morality.
We are so confused, so often.
"Religious ideas are...illusions, fulfillments of the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes of mankind. The secret of their strength lies in the strength of those wishes. As we already know, the terrifying impression of helplessness in childhood aroused the need for protection--for protection through love--which was provided by the father; and the recognition that his helplessness lasts throughout life made it necessary to cling to the existence of a father, but this time a more powerful one. Thus the benevolent rule of a divine Providence allays our fear of the dangers of life; the establishment of a moral world-order ensures the fulfillment of the demands of justice, which have so often remained unfulfilled in human civilization; and the prolongation of earthly existence in a future life provides the local and temporal framework in which these wish-fulfillments shall take place."
--Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion, 1927.
The funny thing is, apart from his assertion that these wishes are illusory, he perfectly describes the power of our image of God the Father. I say, yes, God absolutely fulfills the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes I possess.
One more, from Voltaire this time:
"I want my attorney, my tailor, my servants, even my wife to believe in God, because then I shall be robbed and cuckolded less often." He once silenced a discussion of atheism until he had dismissed his servants, just in case they lost their faith and so their morality.
We are so confused, so often.
2 Comments:
I think what Freud is missing is this: Why do we even have that impression of helplessnes and the need for protection? Isn't that just a product of our inherent need for God?
Yes, and I vaguely remember C.S. Lewis having something to say about that: we thirst and a substance called water exists. We hunger and a substance called food exists. We long for protection and....a Father exists. Makes sense to me.
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