In fact, part III is a complete description of the main ideas and aspects of God and religion in general. Despite the religious diversity, the basic elements of religion have similarities, the product of which was discussed in Part 3. This essay aims to profoundly understand the true essence of debates about God and to analyze judgments that may be fraught with subjectivism.
Firstly, the authors clearly distinguish between three types of attitudes toward religion, which makes it possible to determine one’s positioning on the issue at a glance. Those who are certain of the existence of God are theists, those who deny it are atheists, and those who cannot answer the question are agnostics. Secondly, the main debate about God is in analyzing his perception. Most people claim that God is human, while more than a third disagree, and some religions present God as an animal or mythical creature.
Nevertheless, various scholars have been dealing with God and religion on a philosophical level for centuries. For example, on the one hand, Thomas Aquinas introduced a scientifically grounded theory of the existence of God, which allowed the thinker to explain the reasons for the formation of various aspects of the right peasant life. On the other hand, the French mathematician Blaise Pascal presented more rational and pragmatic reasons for believing in God, sidestepping the subject of analyzing direct evidence for the existence of God. Pascal argued that by choosing two of the three attitudes toward religion other than belief, one would not get enough pleasure compared to the anguish experienced if God existed. At the same time, a religious person does not lose much in life but will be more than rewarded for believing in God throughout life.
Regarding the analysis, I agree with the authors’ view of the concept of tolerance of faith. The authors state: “We need to understand religion and appreciate its power and importance, but we should not presume that everyone has or should have a religion or a religious outlook” (Solomon & Higgins, 97). This quote urges us to understand that religion is not just for people of faith but for all individuals who want to find something in it for themselves, even without expressing their opinions publicly. At the same time, I partly disagree with the statement that: “all religions do seem to have in common, and that is a general sensibility that we call spirituality, the feeling that we are part of something much greater than ourselves” (Solomon & Higgins, 100). Many become religious to distance themselves from society’s evils rather than become part of something greater.
To implement the preceding book, I have chosen a quote from Nietzsche that Gaarder (268) cites while describing an important aspect of existentialism: “God is dead.” In this very short quote, the philosopher emphasizes that, after all the world has experienced, people everywhere are convinced that God is only a collective belief. This quote does a good job of adding to the ‘the problem of evil,’ where the authors ask the rhetorical question of why, if God is such a good character, innocent people still suffer in the world every day. I would appreciate the quality of this book, as the authors acknowledge only objective analysis of the most important philosophical concepts, showing the most uncomfortable questions to answer and answering them from different perspectives. Thus, this work is a logical continuation of the previous semi-fiction book Sophie’s world, where the author described the most important philosophers and philosophical movements.
Reference
Gaarder, J. (2007). Sophie’s world. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Solomon, R. C., & Higgins, K. M. (2022). The big questions (8th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing.