Religion

The concept of religion appeals differently to varying individuals. For instance, Durkheim and Freud have a varying theory in regards to religion. According to Freud, the aspect of religion is based on an illusion that contains various dogmas that explain conditions or facts of both the internal and external reality (Freud, 2). More ever, religion aims at highlighting some things that are not yet discovered by a particular person. The transfer of religious concepts is done in three mechanisms. Firstly, people follow it because our previous ancestor believed in it. Secondly, there are various proves that show religion was passed from generation to generation through antiquity. Lastly, people are prohibited from raising issues that will question the authenticity of the religion (Freud, 7). Additionally, other concepts like taboo and totem are in place to explain how the growth structure of the psyche guides the direction of human civilization.
Consequently, the illusion of religion is that many adults long for fatherly protection and they end up creating God to serve the purposes. In childhood, the need for a father`s protection is always stronger. Therefore, religious attitudes assist adults in satisfying the feeling of puerile helplessness. In adults, the belief of God presence is based entirely on an attempt to satisfy the necessary protection from the external dangers that threaten them (Freud, 9). The infantile feeling establishes a link with religion that guarantees oneness with the Lord, feeling of protection, and it offers consolation for the destroyed ego.

Hence, religion is new to reality and plainly infantile. Life is always hard since humans struggled with many disappointments, pain, and hard tasks. Therefore, religion is a palliative strategy used to guarantee substitutive satisfaction that is provided by such diversions. In addition to that, happiness is felt when pain is completely absent, and this also offers a concrete feeling of pleasure (Durkheim, 8).
In pursuit of happiness, humans make the prime purpose of life to be based on the pleasure that is synonymous with dreams. The concept of dreams is based on creating characters in the unrealistic world (Durkheim, 7). An individual may have a happy dream or even a devastating dream that is filled with fear, death, and pain. In order to remain happy, people created the image of God with the foundation of superiority and powers, so that will not interact with Lord but serve the purpose of protecting them. The idea of eternal life filled with joy, satisfaction or happiness after death is another fallacy that was created as a measure for rewarding people who are living according to the standard of their particular religion. Just like a father rewarding his son for a job perfectly done, religion also promises hope to adults who will be rewarded in the same manner (Durkheim, 5). In modern times, people are faced with injustice, suffering, pain, disappointment and poverty. However, it is a coincidence that heaven offers the opposite through guaranteeing happiness, joy, riches, and endless satisfaction so that religion can gain more popularity among the masses who have somehow similar problems.
According to Durkheim, religion is simply a model of ideas and forces (Durkheim, 1). Therefore, an individual who lives according to religious principles is not only a person who represents the globe but also he or she is a person who is full of knowledge. Therefore, a man equipped with religious ideologies is a powerful individual who filled with the power of God within him (Durkheim, 1). For him to feel the power, he has to be in a religious state. The religious ways of life reflect the existence of very strong forces that enables someone to cope with difficulties and trials of life. The facts that religious is an illusion is not genuine. Even though religion concepts are extensively consistent, they cannot be illusory in nature. Hence, the idea of religion being an illusion cannot be true. This is because illusions are often short term and can last for many centuries.
Contrarily, religious freethinkers utilize methods aimed at discussing religion through the use of natural causes. Religion is a cumulative system of practices and belief that are about sacred issues (Durkheim, 1). The main focus of Durkheim was not on individual religious experience but mostly on the communal bond and public activities that are engaged in all religious functions. The function of religion is to identify social functions that form the sources of solidarity and camaraderie. There is always an identical denominator that links the aspects of religions to varying cultures through adding social concepts and empirical elements of spirituality. For instance, religion acts a uniting system of practices and belief based on sacred things that unite people into a single moral community known as the church. Durkheim also ignores the existence of spiritual concepts (Durkheim, 1). To him, supernatural principles were established by scientists. In the past, everything was supernatural, and elements like gods exist to offer significant human image compared to a person identity. Therefore, godly objects were highly valued by people as a collective effervescence.
Besides, religion was like a paramount social institution for humans that gave them a feeling of collective consciousness. In religion, emotions are symbolized through ritualizing interactions. So far, religion is losing its prime importance. However, the basis of modern interaction and society is still governed by religion (Durkheim, 1). Modernity is expressed with transition period and moral hypocrisy. The future of religion that are illusions is certain. This is because the strength of illusion is reciprocal to the power of human requirement. Therefore, people will continue to generate fantasies. In short, religion is a response defense mechanism that initiates experience of utter dependency or helplessness (Durkheim, 1). In the future, it is clear that religion will always be around. This is because religion is always a compulsive neurosis that can be outgrown. Furthermore, the development of any human must pass through the neurosis phase, and this can assure the future existence of religion.
More ever, various individuals are affected by many economic issues as a great recession, and they always seek comfort in religion. Religion is also significant in community integration. This is, due to compulsive neurosis shape the community into being morally uprights through dictating the cultural values of particular religion. The same idea is shared by Durkheim who also agrees that religious experience is mostly based on the communal bond and communal activities that engage all religious functions (Durkheim, 1). The function of religion is to identify the social function and origin that forms the sources of solidarity and camaraderie. Today, the religious lifestyle is simply languishing due to creative power and self-expression values. The old religious deities are ending due improve living conditions and high economic growth. The future of illusion in religion is not certain because scientific advancements are offering answers to many unknown phenomena.
The number of people relying on religion has significantly increased as years progresses. For instance, during the agrarian revolution people relied on God for blessings such as bringing rain, ending droughts, and natural calamities. During the industrial revolution, the number of individuals who believed in religion was significantly reduced. Various individuals only seek God during disease outbreak and wars. In the modern world, information technology has offered answers to many people while the society becomes more tolerance to self-expressive values. In both Freud`s and Durkheim ideology, the future of religion is continuing ending as the year go ahead. Even though people will not avoid dreaming and creating illusions in their life, the aspect of religion is destined to end (Freud, 10). Hence, it is significant for the society to improve the economic status of its people so that they can avoid forming illusions.
In conclusion, Freud suggests that the belief of God presence is based entirely on an attempt to satisfy the required protection from the external dangers that threaten them (Freud, 7). The infantile feeling establishes a link with religion that guarantees oneness with the Lord, feeling of protection, and it offers consolation for the destroyed ego. Hence, religion is new to reality and plainly infantile. Life is always hard since humans struggled with many disappointments, pain, and hard tasks. Therefore, religion is a palliative strategy used to guarantee substitutive satisfaction that is provided by such diversions. Alternatively, Durkheim also suggests religion acts a uniting system of practices and belief based on sacred things that unite people into a single moral community known as the church (Durkheim, 1). Durkheim also ignores the existence of supernatural concepts. Finally, both Freud`s and Durkheim ideology suggest that the future of religion is continuing ending as the year go ahead.
Works Cited
Braungardt Jurgen. Freud`s View of Religion .Jurgen Braungardt Website, 2016.http://braungardt.trialectics.com/projects/my-papers/freud-religion/
Durkheim Emile. Durkheim: The Future of Religious. Essays and Notes Website, 2014.https://leonardomalves.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/durkheim-the-future-of-religion/
Freud S. The Future of an Illusion. Free Ebook Website, 2016.https://www.free-ebooks.net/ebook/The-future-of-illusion/pdf?dl&preview