The Question of God C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate...

In 2002, Doctor Armand Nicholi, Jr. sought to put two of the greatest minds of the 20th century together to debate the answer to the lifelong question, â€Å"Is there a God, and if so, how should we respond to his existence?† Nicholi is the first scholar to ever put the arguments of C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud side by side in an attempt to recreate as realistic of a debate as possible between the two men. He examines their writings, letters, and lectures in an attempt to accurately represent both men in this debate. His result, the nearly 300 page book, The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life, is one of the most comprehensive, well researched, and unbiased summaries of the debate between†¦show more content†¦As a response to Freud’s interpretation of the conversion of Saul/Paul, Nicholi then looks at the conversion of C.S. Lewis as well as several other students who each had experienced religious convers ions of their own. Nicholi had conducted a study of said students in order to determine if their conversions were â€Å"[expressions] of pathology, i.e. isolating and destructive, or†¦adaptive and constructive? Did these experiences impair or enhance functioning?† (2002, Pg. 80). Nicholi’s findings were incredible, the lives of each and every convert, including Lewis, changes dramatically for the better. They experienced higher levels of self-esteem, more satisfying relationships with friends and family members, and â€Å"†¦a lessening of ‘existential despair’; and a decrease in preoccupation with the passage of time and apprehension over death† (2002, Pg. 80). I will dedicate the remaining words in this paper to my attempt to reason how these conversions could produce such spectacular and beneficial results. I believe the answer can be encapsulated in one word; hope. Christianity gives hope to those who believe its message. In an attempt to show why it gives hope, I will attempt to provide the fundamental beliefs of Christianity in a few short sentences. Christianity explains the universes existence with the teaching that there is a God; a supreme, goodShow MoreRelated Hamlet and the Oedipus Complex Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus complex was formed by Sigmund Freud in the 1900’s. It is based on the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles around 427 BC. In this play, Oedipus killed his father, the king of Thebes, and married his mother without knowing his relationship to either of them. The Oedipus complex states that â€Å"children experience a phase in their psychosexual development (the phallic stage) during which they experience positive feelings toward the parent of the opposite sex and feelings of rivalry toward