Essay

Religion’s chief functions include: a system of explanation and justification for morality. Religion in society provides us with a sense of purpose, security, morality, and obedience. This impacts every society because, as Pojman stated, “it legitimizes social mores, morality itself, as well as rituals for the dedication of children, rites of passage, marriage, and the passage from death to the beyond” (Pojman 1). This gives an accurate explanation of the different cultural traditions and views that exist worldwide.
Pojman said in his introduction, “no other subject has exercised as profound a role in human history as religion.” (Pojman 1). This is important because the way we view religion is the way that philosophical arguments are presented. The way we analyze religion philosophically begins with the notion of a theistic God. The theistic God, in its most general sense, is viewed as an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good deity. Phenomenology, cosmology, teleology, ontology, religious experience, are some ways people attempt to make sense of God and religion in a philosophical way.
In J. L. Mackie’s Evil and Omnipotence, the problem of evil arises, “only for someone who believes that there is a God who is both omnipotent and wholly good” (Peterson 289). We cannot believe in omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and evil at the same time according to Mackie. It yields to contradictions. Alvin Plantinga rejected Mackie’s claim by saying, “Does the theist contradict himself?” (Peterson 297). Plantinga showed that Mackie’s three statements contained no logical contradictions.
Anselm’s ontological argument attempts to prove God’s existence merely through formal structure and necessity. Anselm used a deductively valid argument t...

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...nce and cannot see the truth in reality in his view. Pojman gives us a clear example of Marx’s possible criticism, “Marxism has been criticized as a mistaken attempt to reduce all human experience to class struggle and economic conditions” (Pojman 5).
Pojman acknowledges that Freud’s view is purely within the bounds of psychology and Marx’s towards the bounds of sociology. These views possibly lack philosophical input. Pojman and Plantinga are not the only ones who would respond to these questions. Mackie would attempt to defend Freud and Marx because he is an all-for-atheism guy. Many others would join the conversation. As soon as the arguments begin, so does philosophy.
The primary functions of religion of society will continue to be extremely influential for years to come. As long as we have indefinite answers, there will always be religion in society.