A Human Basis of Religion

Atheists often point out the problems with anthro-pomorphic interpretations of God, which occur within most (institutionalised) religions. If you believe in God, do you think of God in terms of gender? Ethnicity? Does your God resemble a human being in any way? If so, does your God belong to your 'knowledge community'? Why? It is indeed quite difficult to think of God in terms that are completely unrelated to our physical world. What is the role of anthropomorphic analogies in religion? Is true religion unrelated to our physical experience, given that it deals with metaphysical issues? If so, is there any point in 'believing'? One could argue that we see what we want to see and see what we see from a human perspective. Michael Shermer explores some anthropomorphic interpretations of visual stimuli at TED. Yet, should the problem of anthropomorphism automatically lead to scepticism in the field of religion? Somewhat related to the anthropomorphic interpretations of God is the importance of human experience in the context of religion.

Some people go through intense religious experiences at some point in their lives and some have described something similar when going through a 'near-death experience'. Other believers claim to have witnessed miracles. These miracles often influence the faith of other believers and they have been described in religious texts. Hume refutes the notion of miracles and many philosophers have tried to steer away from an all too human interpretation of God.

Is it possible to think about God without resorting to anthropomorphism? 'Some philosophers paint God as an 'omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omniamorous (all loving) creator of the universe' (Lagemaat, 2011). Yet, such concepts may lead to religious paradoxes. The paradox of omnipotence is the most widely discussed. But also concepts such as suffering (particularly relevant to Christianity) could seem paradoxical. If Christ died to relieve suffering in the world, why is there so much suffering? If God is omnipotent and does aim to relieve suffering, why is the world as it is? Richard van de Lagemaat also discusses the 'paradox of change' and the 'paradox of free will' in his course companion. The paradoxical nature of religious philosophy certainly provides much food for thought: entire courses at top universities in the world are devoted to its discussion and analysis.