Rand says “Reality, the external world, exists independent of man’s consciousness, independent of any observer’s knowledge, beliefs, feelings, desires or fears…” (qtd. The Ayn Rand Institute 1). Consciousness, therefore, is to distinguish reality, not to fashion or form it around a personal belief. Consequently, Objectivists reject all forms of a supernatural or any beliefs unfounded in fact. In the quote below Rand explains why she rejects religion outright, and she believes man himself deserves the attention: Just as religion has preempted the field of ethics, turning morality against man, so it has usurped the highest moral concepts of our language, placing them outside this earth and beyond man’s reach.
For example, on Damascus Road, Saint Paul’s religious experience transformed his moral outlook. It would appear that all religious experiences demonstrate a revelation of truth, but one could argue that this does not indicate they are true. As Freud would argue that religious experiences are a way of externalising deep, repressed personal truths. In such a view, religious experiences are unverifiable and cannot be thought to prove the existence of God, as they are merely manifestations of the human subconsciousness. A transient experience short, and cannot be sustained for a long duration of time.
I note one weakness of his argument in regard to his observation if the inseparability of the Kung’s everyday life and their religion, compared to western societies. Katz states that for the Kung religion is an inseparable aspect of their everyday life. However even the term inseparable is inaccurate as it implies that there are two entities to be separated. There is no distinction between their spiritual beliefs and their everyday life. They are one and the same.
Popper wrote the foundation of the principle, but flew went a bit further with it. He was influenced by Popper but Flew applied the falsification principle to religious language and derived the conclusion that religious statements are no more than words with little to no significance. He then goes on to modify John Wisdom's analogy of the intangiable gardener to illustrate his point that religious believers cannot be convinced against God and their belief in him. Flew says that a religious believer is forced to say that “God's love is incomprehensible” when they are faced with the argument that God allows the death of a child due to an inoperable illness. He also goes further to say that “religious believers are allowing their definition of God to 'die a death of a thousand qualifications'” which would suggest that Flew believes that religious believers will use any 'qualification of God' to explain certain happenings in the world.
Only he can redeem, justify, and sanctify us, and we need all three for our salvation. So we understand that our nature is sinful, but through Jesus we can win the battle against our flesh. Paul wrote that through the law we come unto the knowledge that we are sinful. We understand that through the work of the law, that we cannot be justified in the sight of God. We must know that we are justified by grace apart from any works in the
Professor Barbara C. Sproul REL 205 Section 001 5 February 2013 Being or Not-Being Paul Tillich’s “Religion as a Dimension in Man’s Spiritual Life” is his argument against two groups of people, the Literal Theologians and Social Scientist. The Literal Theologians believe that Religion is given by God and he does exist as a being. While the Social Scientist argues that Religion is a man made and God is a being who does not exist. Tillich in the middle of this has a side that he supports and that side is neither. Paul Tillich argues against the literal theologians and the social scientists as well.
Impact on Islamic civilization in the field of faith Islam came with the faith of monotheism in the middle of a society and a world that was rife with polytheism and idolatry. Islam said that Allah is the only God and He was far above any physical characteristics or shortcomings. Islam liberated man from worshipping anyone but Allah, Exalted be He. Islam gave no room to any mediator or priest to act between man and Allah. As soon as the world, particularly during the era of European renaissance, knew this pure faith, “the followers of every religion started to provide explanation for polytheism, or aspects of polytheism and idolatry and their customs and traditions, which existed in their religious system.
The sociology of religion endeavours to ascertain the explanations of social life in regards to religion and the diverse roles it plays within society. However, its goal is not to concern itself with the competing complex belief systems with in society. (Davie, 2007 p. 6) Karl Marx was throughout his life a steadfast atheist. As a socialist he was against the socialism of Christianity. (Aldridge, 2005, p.60) Marx found what he believed to be a full explanation of religion in Ludwig Feuerbach’s work entitled ‘The Essences of Christianity’.
Carter believes that their spiritual attachment to their social group is what provided their pathway to terror. "Setting up these divisions based on faith and religion is the starting point for people thinking of themselves as separate and distinct and part of some out-group. "(Professor David Canter) Canter believes that although religion is associated with terrorism, it is the spiritual feeling of belonging that ultimately makes the terrorist. [It seems to me perfectly feasible to have multiple faith schools that recognize and encourage the good things in religion without creating the idea that one way or another
Religion and Violence According to the Harvard Divinity School, “Religion is a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices that serves the purpose of establishing rules and principles in a society”. When studying various religions, it becomes credible that the principles instilled are those that are morally “just”. Every major religion specifically addresses the issue of violence, and the vast majority condemns such actions. Individuals following a particular religion are expected to follow the rules and principles established which should create a world that is morally righteous and free from violence. For this instance, this is not the case, society must constantly correct immoral actions performed by certain individuals.