Feuerbach's theory of religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Feuerbach's theory of religion - Essay Example According to Feuerbach, man is an entity that needs an objective to live for. In order to know that, it is essential for a man to know himself. Once he gets to know himself, he can understand his objective in life.The qualities of human beings that they are proud of the most are the power of thought, the power of will, and the power of heart i.e. love. The power of thought enables a man to differentiate between right and wrong. The power of will is the freedom to do anything and the power of love is what keeps the human beings from killing each other. If a man has these three powers to an absolute degree, he is thought to be perfect.The human mind is very limited and his ability to think and perceive is also limited. Therefore, every man has some ability that he perceives to be perfect and is contempt with it. His limited mind makes him unable to realize his limitations. The three qualities are, of course, intangible and they need to be objectified. These are the qualities that are p resent in human beings but in different quantities and magnitudes. Feuerbach argues that these qualities are attributed to a separate being and then it is placed at a distance. This perfect being is then called God and worshipped. Man wants to be like God and spends his life trying to attain His abilities. The objects of a man govern and direct his thought process and, ultimately, his nature. Religion objectifies the good attributes and makes it possible for human beings to follow a defined objective for their lives. The concept of God lies in a man’s heart. The mind perceives things and tries to make them meaningful by thinking rationally. The eye sees things as they are and sends the image to the mind. It is, therefore, only the heart that can bear the concept of God. Monotheism requires a man to put faith in God. If a man tries to think that what exactly is God, he would always find himself perplexed and confused. It is because God is superior and without limitations while a man has a limited mind. Monotheism links a man’s heart to God and governs his life. According to Feuerbach, a man’s God is his thoughts and his morals. What the concept of God does to a man is it governs and directs his life. Therefore, what a man does and what he prioritizes define his religion and his God. God is a man’s expressed nature that is visible to everyone. Wh at a man loves secretly and which is hidden from others is his religion. Feuerbach believes that if a man is conscious of God, he is conscious of himself. Therefore, the concept of God is generated just for the sake of understanding oneself and religion is a source of self-knowledge. God stands in supreme power and perfection in monotheism. A man needs to be presented with an imagery of a God. Monotheism requires a man to believe in God that is invisible. Religions mostly provide a man with an imagery of God which helps a man to mould his life and follow a virtuous path. Monotheism provides this in the shape of teachings of God. The curious nature of man drove him to create idols in early times because he was desperate to see what God might look like. According to Feuerbach, man followed and prayed to his own nature in those times. Idolatry is still seen in Hinduism. The divine attributes that are given to God in religion are, in fact, the attributes of humans themselves. According to Feuerbach, â€Å"You believe in love as a divine attribute because you yourself love; you believe that God is a wise, benevolent being because you know nothing better in yourself than benevolence and wisdom; and you believe that God exists and that he is therefore a subject†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The attributes that are perfect in the eyes of human are attributed to God. The limited human mind cannot think of other attributes that might be better than those that are in a man himself. God is no more than a synthesized entity of all the perfect qualities that are perceived by a man to be perfect.