Evaluating Freud

Freud

Father

Illusions about psychological needs

OCD

Repression of sexual desires/neurosis

Freud suggested that religion originated from a childlike desire for a God who resembled a father figure. Religious experience is a result of desire for a father figure.

Following Freud's observations in Mental Hospitals, he concluded that people with mental conditions tend to behave in a compulsive and repetitive manner. For example people who use rosary beads, Freud is arguing that people who find comfort in religion are some what neurotic thanks to their compulsive behaviour

Freud's observations in the mental institute recorded that patients who suffer from obsession have behaviours similar to religious behaviour e.g. formal prayer

Freud believed religion was an illusion which expressed people's desires. Religious Experience is an illusion which meets people's psychological needs, similar to wishful thinking.

We can also refer to the Oedipus Complex, under great stress people see things, hysteria. People think they are seeing things because it is because they are repressing their sexual desire for their parent

There is no agreement that the Oedipus Complex exists, Malinowski has suggested that there is no evidence that the Oedipus Complex is universal or inherited, meaning that Freud's idea that people commit to religion to suppress feelings of desire for their parent is incoherent

The God like figure in other cultures is not always male, and, can be rejected by culture that are not patriarchal or male-centred. Also what about Buddhism?

It is arguable that the repetitive use of rosary beads is a sign of dedication and not neurosis. Seeing as dedication is a quality which is generally respected it renders Freud's argument, illogical

There are many explanations for obsessional neurosis not just the Oedipus Complex e.g. modern science says that depression can be genetic, no one doubts sexual abuse can have mental effects on behaviour