My OpenLearn Profile
Personalise your OpenLearn profile, save your favourite content and get recognition for your learning
Ever wondered why Karl Marx thought religion was like Opium - or whether religion is possible without a god? Voiced by David Mitchell, this series of four 60 second animations examines different ways that religion has been viewed by non-religious thinkers. As well as Marx and Dawkins, religion is put under the microscope by thinkers Auguste Comte and JJ Bachoffen.
Track 3: Religion as a mother
Why do so many people picture God as a man? JJ Bachofen suggested there was once a time when it was the Goddess, not God that people turned to for religious guidance.
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
- Download this track from iTunes - you'll need Apple's free iTunes software
- Discover more from The Open University and iTunesU at open.edu/itunes
Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Religion as social control | Had Marx got his way, society would be so happy being revolutionaries, there’d be no need for religion. He’d obviously never been to a Gulag. Play now Religion as social control |
| 2 | Religion as ritual | Explore how ancient beliefs developed from “Eggism” into modern day religion. French philosopher, Comte explains how. Play now Religion as ritual |
| 3 | Religion as a mother | Why do so many people picture God as a man? JJ Bachofen suggested there was once a time when it was the Goddess, not God that people turned to for religious guidance. Play now Religion as a mother |
| 4 | Religion as a virus | Can science and religion ever sit side by side? Not according to Richard Dawkins. And he has rock-star mice to prove it. Play now Religion as a virus |
Rate and Review
Rate this video
Review this video
Log into OpenLearn to leave reviews and join in the conversation.
Video reviews