In class we have discussed so far four different theories about religion by, Frazer, Durkheim, Freud, and Marx. They all have their own ideas and explanations about religion and God. I cannot say which is right and which is wrong because these are all well educated men who base their theories on what they have learned and experienced.
I think that in what time period each of these thinkers lived in, influeced somehow also their view on religion. Everyone of them has had different life experiences which have shaped their view on religion and the divine.
I must say that the theory I rely more on is that of Frazer. He provides a very simple and clear explanation about religion. He writes that religion is the rejection of magic and that makes perfect sense to me. People in the past have tried to explain things in nature they did not understand by thinking it was magic. Then they saw that magic was not the reason why events in nature were happening, so they turned to religion and began to pray. According to Frazer there will come a time in the future where the world will shift completely to science and it will leave religion behind.
Although any one of us has their own “favorite” theory, I think that to have the complete understanding on what religion is, we need all of these thories. All of them together present a full view on religion and God.