Star Trek Community

Last Thursday our religion class watched a documentary on the phenomenon of Star Trek. The documentary made us think about non-traditional formulations of pilgrimage and religion. We were asked to think about select ideas and key terms from the course and connect them to what we saw in the video. The terms we were asked to relate to the video were features of religion, examples of the Turner Model, and examples of the Eliade Model. Also we were asked to identify similarities to eastern and western religions, and relationships with the ideas of Freud, Marx, Durkheim, or Frazier.

            There are a variety of features from religion in Star Trek Fandom. Features of religion include sacredness, rituals, languages, and relics.  In the video, the Star Trek fans visit conventions as often as possible. Fans believe that the conventions are something sacred in a sense that they are something different from the day-to-day routine of thinking. Souvenirs are examples of relics and material expression in religion. ‘Trekkers’ even have a common language shared among them.  The shared experience is a community formation and a larger connection for the group. Since conventions are held somewhere in the world every weekend, visiting them is considered a ritual. A ritual is something reoccurring. Every Trek fan believes in the moral component of Star Trek and this is a huge unified believe the system. They are all compelled to do service to others and be better beings.

            Going to the conventions is a very good example of a pilgrimage. It is possible to distinguish two models of pilgrimage but first I will explain the Turner Model. The first step of the Turner Model is to leave the world of convention, and in the case of the four women in the documentary, this is exactly what they are doing. All four women have normal lives at home, but they are friends and like to meet up at the conventions. Crossing the limin is leaving and entering into the convention itself. Since the conventions are sacred and different from their world of convention, this is a good example of the first step. Meeting at the conventions with the same passion for Star Trek and being together is creating anti-structure and forming a communitas. In the story of the young girl who wrote a letter to one of the main characters, she tells him about her desire to commit suicide. She eventually has an element of transformation and goes on to finish her degree. This story represents metaphorical death. When fans decide to leave and make their way back home is the return to convention back to their normal lives.

            The Eliade Model is also presented in the documentary. Once again, sacred space for the Trek fans is the conventions because it draws them away from the chaos of normal life to a more real place. Many for those interviewed said that they felt normal at the conventions and they felt as if they truly belonged there. ‘Trekkers’ keep chaos at bay by buying relics and other items of material expressing. When fans take these items home they are creating a sort of portable axis mundi. That way, they will always have the connection to the permanent axis mundi of the conventions. An axis mundi can be any city associated with Trek. The main axis mundi, where every Trek fan wants to be is located in New York City. 

            There are many similarities to eastern and western religions shown in the ‘trekkies’ video. Starting with eastern religions with a focus in Hinduism, the characters from Star Trek are viewed as Gods. The ‘trekkers’ are free to worship whichever individual deity they choose. Star Trek is an example of the way and essentially ultimate reality. Eastern religions are more centered on orthopraxis, which is the order in the way you behave. Orthopraxis can be expressed through yoga for discipline. The connection between Star trek and orthopraxis in eastern religion is the clubs that fans participate in. The clubs strive to do good deed and be better people. Similarities can also be made with western religions and Orthodoxy. Orthodox puts an emphasis on text and a special creed. Star Trek indeed has a creed called the prime directive. The prime directive calls for non-interference with other people and has a pacifist like principle. The script from the Star Trek show is the sacred text.

            Freud, Marx, Durkheim, and Frazier all had different ideologies of religion. Many of the theorists’ ideas are represented in Star Trek fandom. Frazer believed that myths had a lot to do with religion. Star Trek consists of a whole bunch of stories which it’s fan consider very sacred. Emile Durkheim thought religion was a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. He also believed that ultimate reality was the group or the clan unified by a totem. ‘Trekkies’ all have a system of beliefs in Star trek and are each united by a character. Some people believe that religion is crazy and that it is not real. Like Freud, people look at the fans of Star Trek and think that there is something mentally abnormal about them. For some fans, Star Trek is a universe of obsession, and this can be perfectly linked to Freud’s idea of religion. Marx also believed that religion was an illusion and it is the sigh of the oppressed creature. Going back to the story of the young girl who sent the letter of her desired suicide, there is a certain element of transformation after she releases a cry for help through her love of Star Trek. After she sent the letter she turned around and found her own goodness in herself.

            Watching the Trekkies video and connecting key terms from class was a great way to review and has helped me to understand more the ways religion can be present in non-traditional forms. There was so much evidence that fandom can be considered religion that I can now say I believe it is a religion too. 

Elvis Presley Religion

Elvis Presley was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Texas. Little did he know that he would grow up to create “a new era of American music and popular culture.”  Much less did he think he was going to start a phenomenon based on his talent, good looks, and touching lyrics. This phenomenon would grow into a universal faith shared by so many people. His followers honor him for the connection he brings through his lyrics. They relate to Elvis by sharing the pain so beautifully expressed in his songs. When Elvis died in August of 1977, small gatherings began to appear at the gates of Graceland in the first few years after his death. The gatherings have become known as Death Week, and are the ‘cry of the oppressed creature’ for those who loved him. I believe that there is a religion of Elvis and there is plenty of evidence to support it.

            Death week can be closely identified as a pilgrimage. There is evidence in many aspects of Death Week that relate to the terms we have talked about in class about the steps to a pilgrimage. Examples from the Turner and Eliade Model are presented. The idea of a religion of Elvis is heavily supported in the selection we read from “New York Times”.  Rituals following the Elvis culture lately are beginning to take shape of an actual faith.

            Edith and Victor Turner created the idea of a pilgrimage referred to as the Turner Model. The Turner Model involves four major steps. Step one requires a person to leave his or her world of convention, or what is most comfortable. This is leaving the normal way of life for something new. In the article we read, leaving to go to Graceland for Death Week could be leaving the world of convention. Second is to create a different structure in life. Crossing the gates of Graceland and entering into a mental state of mourning and sorrow is an example of the second step. Also, crossing the gate is liminality, seeing the gate as the limin or threshold. “The central focus [of Death Week] is on loss, on hurt, on the moment of grieving communion at the grave.” (Rosenbaum 1) Aggregation of an entire group of people with this state mind is a perfect example of the third step in the Turner Model, to form a new community. The new community is called communitas, which are the sacred people. The last step to the Turner Model is a metaphorical death followed by the return to normal ways. Because symbols of metaphorical death are fire and ice, it is appropriate to say the action of holding candles and tears coming from the community are an example of the last step. When the ritual is over and the pilgrims have said their goodbyes, they all return to their normal way of life.

            Eliade believed that there was a birthing place in the world and at the center of this place was most sacred. He said that anything that is sacred is everything that is close to the navel or the center of the earth. An axis mundi is a connecting point between heaven and earth. The axis mundi can be represented as something like a tree or hill. Coincidentally, Elvis’s grave is located at the top of the garden. Carrying their lighted candles and shedding tears, pilgrims “circle around to the flat bronze grave marker and pause there to commune with the spirit of the departed king.” (Rosenbaum 1) Circumambulating around the axis mundi demonstrates clearly the cosmology idea of Mircea Eliade. He also believed that there was something sacred about the image an ideal house and in this case is Elvis’s house. Graceland is the center of the world for those who love him and the farther they get from it, the more profane the world seems.

            Every aspect of religion is involved in the faith of Elvis. “Elvis was the ‘taboo man’ he was a healing figure…inaccessible to the ordinary.”(Rosenbaum 6) He was criticized by people because his songs and dances were very sexual. Elvis was often seen as a “fertility totem, the baby maker of the baby boom” (Rosenbaum 7) Elvis’s followers according to Rosenbaum believed that he was more that human, but less than divine. (8) Shrines are connecting points between heaven and earth. The followers of Elvis believe that Graceland is a shrine. Graceland has many rooms filled with things that belonged to or represented Elvis. Pieces of things made and touched by him, even his clothes are sacred relics and vestments. Sometimes the Elvis inclined can purchase and take home items and this is referred to as material expression, ideas or concepts expressed as physical things. Elvis is the “new face of Jesus” to some people and Graceland is “the place of life.” (Rosenbaum 12)

            When Elvis started his career as a singer, he had no idea what an impact he would have on people and when I was growing up, I never thought I would believe that there is a religion for him. There is so much evidence and correlation to the fact that followers of Elvis truly do have a religion for him. Although I do not participate in this religion, I cannot deny that is it such a thing. Even if you do not like a person’s beliefs, you still cannot deny that their faith is a religion. Every aspect of religion is presented in the article we read in class on Tuesday. According to Emile Durkheim, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, and the ultimate reality is the group unified by a totem. Elvis is the totem of his followers who all truly love and believe in him. Karl Marx thought that religion was the sigh of the oppressed creature, and religion was the projection of our own goodness in which we alienate in something else because of our oppression. Elvis’s lyrics had the most profound influence on his people because he expressed their sorrow in a beautiful way. After reading and analyzing the article we read in class. I firmly agree that there is a religion of Elvis.

works cited
Rosenbaum, Ron. "Among Believers."New York Times Sept. 24: 1-13. Print.

            

Nonwestern and Western Religions

There are many contrasts between Western and Eastern religions. Western religions commonly referred to as the Abrahamic religions, include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The most common Eastern religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. The differences between the two categories of religion are strongly influenced by geography. Some countries like India are very isolated and this creates no opportunity to explore different ideas. Western religions are monotheistic and Nonwestern religions are monistic. The world cosmology view of Western religions is more linear where as in Nonwestern religions the world is viewed more circular. Also, Western religions are more orthodox apposed to Nonwestern religions which are orthopraxis.

            Monotheism is the belief in one God with personal attributes. It is belief in one personal God who interacts with his or her followers. Judaism believes in Yahweh, which is actually an early Hebrew word just to represent the divine name of their Lord. They believe that Yahweh had relationships with certain people and made covenants or promises with them. In the religion Islam, a Muslim worships their one God named Allah. They believe that Allah made Muhammad his conduit to the Qur’an. Christianity believes that their God gave his one and only son to save the world from sin and that he will come again. Monotheism is an important aspect in the difference between Western and Nonwestern religions.

            Nonwestern religions are monistic. Monism is the belief in one impersonal force. This is, that ultimate reality is everything, and in everything. These religions believe that ‘god’ is everything. Hinduism for example has the monistic idea of Brahman. Brahman is everything, in everything. The Atman is the soul, there is no separation between anyone or object and everything is the world. Male and female can also be interchangeable and considered one thing. The term demigod refers to a divinity that is in everything because of the one thing.  Because anything can represent the one thing than everything is divine.

            Cosmology is a worldview and how someone sees the system works. Western cosmology has the idea that time begins at one point and ends at another. Followers in western religions believe and life and death alone. In the both the Hebrew bible and the Catholic bible there is a book of Genesis. The book of Genesis tells the story of creation. It clearly and quite literally states that there was a beginning, because the first phrase in the book is, “In the beginning…” (Rudavsky 158). The end in one’s life is death.

            Cosmology in Nonwestern religions is slightly different. Nonwestern cosmology views the world as being circular. Reincarnation is a popular idea in Nonwestern cosmology. When someone is born, lives, and eventually dies, then is born again by receiving a body again, is reincarnation.  The process is viewed in a circle that never ends. There is no end to time in Nonwestern cosmology. In Hinduism there is the belief in a tri-murti or three aspects. The tri-murti is images or faces of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. During parts of someone’s life they will worship the aspects for creation, life, and death.

            The last two major contrasts in Western and Nonwestern religions is the difference of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis. Orthodoxy in Western religions is the expression of belief. Western religions express “right belief” or correct belief through words. A creed is a statement of belief. The words read or spoken in a creed or text is an example of orthodoxy in Western religions. The Jewish creed is the Shema and the creed in Islam is the Shahadah or profession of faith. Nonwestern religions are adamant in proper behavior, practice, and activity. Proper behavior can be expressed through yoga. Yoga is for discipline and there are four common types of yoga. There is Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Bhatki Yoga. The different types focus on aspects of work, knowledge, the body, and love.  

Islam

Islam is one of the Western Abahamic religions, among Judaism and Christianity. It is a monotheistic religion in which Muslims believe that a person finds peace in the surrender to God. The word Islam means, “submission to God” and those who submit to the one God are Muslims, which means “one who surrenders”, or “submits” to the will of God. Muhammad is their great prophet whom they believe was the last prophet of God and the conduit for the Qur’an. Muslims know that there are certain ways to live a moral life that are the basic tenets of Islam called the Five Pillars of Islam. Islam is the world’s second largest religion, following Christianity.

The Western Abrahmic religions share the belief in covenant, tradition, and monotheism. Judaism believes in one God with the divine name “Yahweh”. Christianity also believes in the one God who created the world and takes interest in the humans who inhabit it. To Muslims, their one God named “Allah” transmitted his word to the prophet Muhammad. This revelation was written down in the Qur’an and is considered the divine word of God. The Qur’an means “recitation”, and has become the scripture of Islam. These writings are so important because they were dictated from Allah to Gabriel and then to Muhammad. The Qur’an is often sung to enhance joyous celebrations. It consists of 114 chapters or surahs and has similar stories to that of Jewish and Christian scripture.

The prophet Muhammad was very influential in the religion of Islam. He is believed to be the last prophet of God and a conduit for the Qur’an. He was also a human man who was born in 570 CE around Mecca in a trading city called Arabia. Muhammad was orphaned, illiterate, and worked for a wealthy caravan trader. The trader had a daughter named Khadija whom Muhammad married when he was 25 years old. Muhammad lived the rest of his life in prayer at Mt. Hera near Mecca. In 610 CE, when he was 40 years old, Muhammad received a revelation from the angel Gabriel. The angel appeared to him while he was praying and Muhammad submited; this is miraculous because he was illiterate. He had many revelations over the years, which he has written down and became the writings of the Qur’an. Muhammad is not considered divine and Muslims do not worship him.

The Five Pillars of Islam are the basic tenets of Islam. They are the basic ways to live a moral life and are believed to make a person a good practicing Muslim. The Five Pillars include Shahadah, Salat, Sawm, Sakat, and a Hajj. Shahadah is the Muslim’s creed or “profession of faith”. The creed is said in the morning and at night before bed. It says, “I witness that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” The second pillar, Salat, is a prayer ritual. It is a precise ritual of praying five times a day facing Mecca. Mecca is the navel of the earth, sacred center, or the axis mundi to Muslims.

The third pillar of Islam is Sawm, a fasting ritual. Each day in Ramadan, the ninth month in Islam, Muslims are required to fast. From dawn until sunset they will fast from everything including eating, drinking, sexual activity, gum, toothpaste, and medicine. Sakat is the fourth pillar and is the pillar of charity. Muslims participate by giving alms to the poor in acts of charity. These alms are money savings or charitable gifts they give to the less fortunate.

The last and final pillar of Islam is the Hajj, which literally means “pilgrimage”. Muslims are required to take a pilgrimage to Mecca, if physically able, at least once in their lifetime. No non- Muslim is allowed in Mecca because Mecca is the most holy place for Muslims. The first step to the Hajj is to circumambulate the Ka’aba seven times. The Ka’aba is a black stone around which Muslims gather at Mecca. Second, a Muslim must “hustle” between the two hills and drink from the spring, symbolizing when Hagar was looking for water for her son. The third step is the go to Mt. Arafat to pray and rest. After much rest and prayer, a Muslim throws seven stones at each three pillars to represent casting out evil. Sacrificing an animal and sharing a meal is the last step and ends the pilgrimage.

http://www.injil.org/singing.htm

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/religion-islam-muslim-islamic-quran.htm

            

Judaism

Judaism is the religious culture of the Jewish people. Beginning with just a small Hebrew nation it has gone through thousands of years of suffering and persecution to get to where it is today. The main Jewish communities today are in Israel and the United States. Judaism is a monotheistic religion, which is they worship only one God. They believe that God has personal attributes and that he makes relationships with people. They express their faith through a profession of faith called the Shema. There are also many nationally recognized holidays. It is a very influential religion and culture.

Judaism is a monotheistic religion. Jewish followers believe in only one God who he has personal attributes. The divine name for their God is YHWH. They believe that the sacred name of God is so holy that they cannot even spell it out. In the Jewish Bible they fill in between the letters with random others to keep from writing it down or accidentally saying it. Also, in early Hebrew writing, there were no vowels. So instead they use the word Adonai, which means Lord. When professing their faith, Jewish people recite the Shema. The Shema says:

                        “Hear O Israel,

          the Lord is your God,

               the Lord is one!.”  - Dt 6:4

The Shema is said in the morning and also at night as a bedtime prayer. People sometimes close their eyes or cover their face with their hands to concentrate and eliminate distractions. The Tanak, or the Hebrew bible is separated into three sections based on their content. The Torah is the first five books of Moses. These are the laws and instructions he received from God.The second is the Neviim that tells about the prophets.  The last section is the Ketuvim, which is majority writing, including books of psalm and proverbs.

            In Judaism, they believe that God is a personal God and he likes to make relationships with people. A covenant is a promise and the Jewish believe that God has made several promises with their people. The first covenant was with a man named Noah. God was angry with his people and was going to destroy the earth with a flood. He told Noah to build an Ark to save himself and God’s creatures. When the flood was over God made a covenant with Noah and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again. The second covenant was with Abraham. Abraham was an older man with his wife Sarah who was old and unable to have children. God said to Abraham that he would provide them with a child if they had him circumcised. The covenant from God was that he would provide Abraham with land and descendants if they kept the command to have them circumcised.

            The third covenant from God was with Moses. Moses was the man who led the people out of slavery in Egypt and received the Torah from God on the mountain. The torah includes what is called kosher law or a food law. This restricts the Jewish from eating pork, shellfish, or milk. It also requires them to keep holy the Sabbath day and worship only their one God. God promised that as long as people kept the torah, he would be their God. The fourth and last covenant was with David. David is the fulfillment of the covenant from God that said he would provide an eternal kingdom and will dwell in the temple there forever. Jerusalem is the eternal city for Jews, Christians and Muslims.

            There are many rituals involved in Judaism. Rituals are things that are reoccurring and in this case yearly. In Judaism there are 6 yearly rituals that Jewish people celebrate. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and this year was on September 8. Yom Kippur is the second ritual of the Jewish year also known as “the day of attonement”. This is a ritual when priests offer sacrifice in the Holy of Holies. Sukkot is the third ritual and it is a meal taken place underneath a tent or booth to remind the Jews of when they were fleeing from Egypt and had to stay in tents and rely on God for all that they received to survive. The fourth ritual of the year is Chanukah, or the festival of lights. This is an 8 day festival celebrating when a lamp that had no oil left miraculously burned for 8 days in the temple.

 Purim is the next ritual and is similar to Halloween. This ritual celebrates Esther’s triumph over Haimon and is celebrated with cookies, drinks, and costumes. Passover is the second pilgrimage festival and the sixth yearly ritual in the Jewish year. It represents the Passover of the angel of death. Whoever had sacrificed the lamb and put its blood above the door had spared the life of their first-born son. Fifty days after Passover is Shavuot. Shavuot is the first fruit festival and is an agricultural celebration for the late spring harvest. The Jewish year all starts in the fall and cycles around to late spring and summer. Every ritual is celebrated in remembrance of the suffering and persecution but sometimes triumphs of their past. Judaism is a very influential religion and culture.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shema.html

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/index.htm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_country_or_continent_is_Judaism_popular_in

Holy Cities of Pilgrimage

             Into the third week of September, our religion class has begun to discuss outlooks on pilgrimage. The definition for pilgrimage is “a universal quest for the self.” (p.197) We have started looking at two theorists, Mircea Eliade and Edith and Victor Turner. The Turners believed Pilgrimage involved “leaving social convention and joining a temporary communitas.” (p.201) Eliade believed there was a sacred and profane, “the ‘sacred’ is REALLY real and exists as a force larger than society.” (p. 200) Eade and Sallnow and Emile Durkheim are theorists we are planning on covering this week. I was very interested in exploring the major places sought out for pilgrimages. Some major cities are, Lourdes, France, Jerusalem, Mecca, Bodhgaya, and Benares. These are all cities frequently visited by millions of Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu peoples.

            Lourdes, France has developed into a major pilgrimage spot for Roman Catholics. It is home of a beautiful grotto where fourteen year old St. Bernadette, received a message from the Virgin Mary herself. She allegedly appeared to her 18 times at the grotto. Pilgrims travel in search of healing from the water of the natural spring that appeared in the grotto.  Connected with this pilgrimage is often the consumption of or bathing in the Lourdes water. Many believe that the waters possess certain healing powers. There has been 67 recognized miraculous healings. Five million people travel to the small town each year in search of their own miracle.

            Jerusalem is considered one of the world’s holiest cities. It is sacred to three world faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is a place where Jewish come to visit the temple of Solomon and Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven. Christians come to walk in Jesus’ footsteps and follow his Crucifixion. There are three holy cites in Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This city is a very popular pilgrimage cite because it is rich with history and religion.

            Mecca is considered the center of the Islamic world and the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad. This sacred land is located on the western part of the Arabian Peninsula in Saudi Arabia. A Muslim follows fundamental practices called “The Five Pillars of Islam”. The hajj pilgrimage is the fifth pillar, which requires a male or female to make at least one trip to Mecca in his or her lifetime. When a pilgrim comes to Mecca, they come dressed in a simple white garment that symbolizes purity. They enter a state of holiness when they enter the masque in Mecca and walk around the shrine of Ka’ba seven times in a counterclockwise direction. Next, entering into the shrine, the pilgrim kisses the sacred stone. A pilgrimage to Mecca is forbidden to all people outside the Muslim faith.

            Bodhgaya is among one of the four most sacred pilgrimage places for Buddhists. It is situated on the Phalgu river in Northern India. Gautama Buddha is believed to have found enlightenment under the sacred Bodhi tree at Bodghaya. Pilgrims tie pray flags to the branches and meditate under it. Monks sit at the base of the tree to meditate and chant. The Bodhi Tree is not the only attraction in Bodhgaya. Two others include, Vajrasana and the Mahabodhi temple. The serene atmosphere is ideal for meditation.

            Benares is located in Northern India, between the Varuna and Ashi rivers. It is a sacred city that stands as a Hindu symbol of religion, tradition, and history. Pilgrims come in search of divine blessings at the ghats in Benares. A ghat is a series of paved steps that lead to water with temples built into its side. These structures were built and owned by the royal families of India. In the morning, the waters are filled with people in hope that the water will wash away their sins. The five major ghats in Benares are, Assi, Dasawamedha, Barnasangam, Panchganga, and Manikarnika. It is the oldest place of learning and is filled with centuries of tradition.

http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/pilgrimagetolourdes.html

http://unmyst3.blogspot.com/2009/09/healing-water-of-lourdes.html

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/holidays/editorial-feature/feature/pilgrimages-and-religious-destinations

http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/mecca.html

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-pilgrimage/bodh-gaya.html

http://www.pilgrimageindia.net/budhism_pilgrimage/bodhgaya.html

http://www.buddhist-pilgrimage.com/bodhgaya.html

www.rajuindia.com

http://www.tourism-of-india.com/benaras.html

http://www.templenet.com/Ganga/varanasi.html

Keeping An Open Mind

This past week, we have explored the ideas of four theorists. These theorists included James Frazer, Emile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx. Each theorist had a different outlook on religion. Here is a more in depth look at each theorist and their beliefs.

James Frazer (1854-1941) was a religious theorist who believed that religion was the power that comes from inside the internal person. His field of study included comparative anthropology with sources of mythology and Greek writings. He believed in sympathetic magic where nature works on sympathies or influences. He said, “when nature fails, the primitive peoples made every effort they could to understand the world and change it.” (Pg 34) He suggested that science follows the failure of religion. I was open to the theories Frazer suggested about the contrasts and similarities of magic and religion. It was interesting how he distinguished between the two. When most people’s outlooks are concrete and unwilling to explore possibilities he tried to understand an alternate way.

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was sociologist who believed that God, an ultimate reality, is essentially the group or the clan. There will always be a unified group with a unified system of beliefs and practices. He was interested in sources of community ideas and the realm of the mind. He said, “ Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, things apart and forbidden.” (Pg 99) The totemic principle is the hidden force worshipped by the clan. I think there is always the possibility of change.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was a psychologist who was mostly involved with the field of psychoanalysis. Freud ultimately did not believe in religion. His personal stance is a complete rejection of religious belief. He said, “ They are erroneous, they are superstitions.” (Pg 65) Freud believes that religion is a universe of obsession neurosis; that neurotic people believe in religion and normal people follow science. He thinks that God is an illusion, or an image projected from the self to satisfy a deep need or overcome our guilt. I think someone who is agnostic or atheist is a very pessimistic person. Freud can definitely be described as a weird thinker but I like that he looks outside the box and he finds new and strange outlooks on things.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) was an economic philosopher. He believed there was a higher class and a lower class; the proletariat and the bourgeoisie respectively. He thought the psychical was always better than the ideal. We have creativity and beauty, we can grow and change, but Marx says we have rejected all of that and instead, have projected it in a God figure. He says, “ Religion is pure illusion.” (Pg 138) and, “ the sigh of the oppressed creature.” (Pg 141) He believes the oppressed creature clings to religion as their hope. I think Marx was very close-minded in the fact that he tried to put everything into the economic standpoint of life. However, compared to Freud who was calling people crazy, Marx explained why we are the way we are.

As a Catholic, many of the theorists we have gone over completely go against my views of religion as a whole. I have been brought up to believe God and his only son are my saviors; they make up everything about my rituals and beliefs. To hear theories about God not existing or that a belief in a God is “crazy” is a tough challenge to comprehend, however, I need to keep an open mind about other world religions and beliefs.