Freud, Atheism and Religion

It is important when examining the viewpoint from Civilization and Its Discontents to keep in mind that Freud was an atheist, believing that the fantastic stories and theories of religion should be replaced by the provable facts put forth by science and art. He considered his beliefs to be more realistic than antagonistic, examining religion by viewing it as an offshoot of psychoanalysis. Freud was however, open to all religious philosophies, and interestingly enough, made note that religion, although false, is necassary in society. For example, his theory that “God is a projection of the human need for a father” is based on the idea that God is nothing more than a projection of the human mind. Freud describes that religion was created by the human mind as a form of comfort and that this need for comfort was comparable to the needs of an infant child. He claimed that people looked to God as a higher power much as a child looks to his parents for strength and guidance.