Religious Non-Realism

Thesis Statement:

For religious non-realism, “God” is an

empty, or at least, a doubtful, concept. As
a human creation, religion is essentially
functionalist, constructed to address
psychological (Freud) and social
(Durkheim) needs, and rooted in an innate
survival mechanism (Dennett).
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I. Concerning the Concept “God”
1. Reality is that which exists independently. A
concept is true if it accurately describes reality.
For Realism: “God” corresponds to a real being.
2. Religious Non-Realism:
2.1. Atheism: “God” is a false (and empty)
concept, not corresponding to any real being
2.2. Agnosticism: Nothing is certain about the
existence of a real entity referred to as “God.”
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2.3. Functionalism: Religious beliefs and
doctrines serve a secular purpose (function),
making religion useful and beneficial.
2.3.1. Function of Religion: Addresses and
serves human needs
2.3.2. Origin of Religion: Human needs. Thus,
religion is man-made: No God-given revelation.
2.3.3. Conclusion: “God” refers only to
subjective needs, NOT to an independent entity.
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III. Sigmund Freud: Religion is Wishful Thinking
1. Child’s sense of security provided by a father
vs. Adult’s desire to alleviate anxiety-helplessness
2. Origin of belief in God: Infantile wish to return to
the past security of childhood. “God is nothing more
than an exalted father.” God is an illusion, to whom
is projected unfulfilled wishes about one’s father.
3. God serves as a coping mechanism, providing
knowledge, consolation, and direction (laws) to
enable adults to face courageously harsh reality.
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“Religion gives them information about the origin
and coming into existence of the universe, it assures
them of its protection and of ultimate happiness in
the ups and downs of life and it directs their thoughts
and actions by precepts which it lays down with its
whole authority. Thus it fulfils three functions.… [I]t
satisfies the human thirst for knowledge; it soothes
the fear that men feel of the dangers and vicissitudes
of life, when it assures them of a happy ending and
offers them comfort in unhappiness…[and] it issues
precepts and lays down prohibitions and restrictions.”
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IV. Emile Durkheim: God is the Society Divinized
1. Emblems as representations of primitive clans

2. Origin of primitive clans’ belief in God:

Collective effervescence. The clan attributed it to
the power of its emblem, present in its gatherings.
 Religious Non-Realism
2.1. Birth of Totemism: Clan began to see its emblem
as representing an external force superior to it. The
emblem is now worshipped as representing a god.
2.2. Belief in God has a social origin: “God is the
symbolic expression of society,” i.e., of society’s
collective ideals expressed in ethical rules. Society
creates and shapes members’ moral consciousness.
3. God is used as a control mechanism to preserve
and strengthen societal unity, and to emphasize the
primacy of society over its individual members.
Religious Non-Realism
 Religious Non-Realism
V. Daniel Dennett: “Breaking the Spell: Religion
as a Natural Phenomenon”
1. “Roots of Religion” (Animism)
1.1. Hyperactive Agent Detection Device (HADD):
Agent has movement and mind; adopting an
intentional stance. HADD is part of the organism’s
genetic make-up, thus innate and not learned.
1.2. Belief in spirits is the “imaginative offspring
of a hyperactive habit of finding agency wherever
anything puzzles or frightens us.”
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2. “Religion, the Early Days” (Polytheism)
2.1. Believer as pro-active: gods as agents who
should be pleased because they can give knowledge
useful for survival in a hostile environment
2.2. Rituals (memes):
2.2.1. Divination rituals: Pleasing the gods—How
to make them give knowledge needed for survival?
2.2.2. Faithfulness to rituals’ content: Majority-rule
strategy, thus rituals have to be performed in groups
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3. “Evolution of Stewardship” (Monotheism)
3.1. Failure of majority-rule strategy: Consequence
is the proliferation of wild, uncontrollable memes,
giving rise to divisions in doctrines and worship
3.2. Domestication of wild memes: Rise of stewards
of official memes (beliefs, doctrines, rituals), with
the duty of preserving and transmitting them.
3.3. “Belief in belief”: Official religious memes
should not be questioned. Just believe!
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V. Evaluating Religious Non-Realism’s
Functionalist Understanding of Belief in God
1. Strength: Aids believers in becoming aware of
their real motives for their commitment to God
2. Weaknesses:
2.1. Genetic Fallacy: “Since belief in God has its
origin in human needs, then God does not exist.”
* Statement is illogical, since the origin of belief
cannot disprove (nor prove) the existence of God.
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2.2. Reductionism: Reality is simply subjective
usefulness. Thus God is real only for being useful.
2.2.1. Belief in God undoubtedly fulfills social,
psychological, and survival needs.
2.2.2. BUT the reality of God is not identifiable
with, or reducible to, the belief’s subjective utility.
2.2.3. Whether useful or not to human beings, God
nevertheless is real objectively: God is a real entity
who exists independently of human thought/mind.
 Religious Non-Realism
Thesis Statement:

For religious non-realism, “God” is an

empty, or at least, a doubtful, concept. As
a human creation, religion is essentially
functionalist, constructed to address
psychological (Freud) and social
(Durkheim) needs, and rooted in an innate
survival mechanism (Dennett).