Response to Seán Manning’s Article: “Why Psychotherapy Must Be Secular”

Abstract

This article proposes that rather than being inherently dangerous, religions originate in times when people experience inter-tribal wars or other existential anxieties, and evolve in tandem with societal developments; as people become more peaceful, so do their religions. Based on Volkan’s (1985, 2006) analysis of psychological aspects of the conflict after 9/11 between America and some Muslims, it is suggested that religion serves as an ethnic and national identifier rather than being the source of the conflict. Jung’s idea that “gods” correspond to unconscious psychic factors rather than existing as entities is cited.

Waitara

E kī ana tēnei tuhinga ehara i te ira mōrearea, engari ahu kē mai ai ngā hāhi i ngā putanga mai o ngā wheako mai i ngā riri-ā-iwi ki te iwi o ētahi atu anipānga kē atu rānei, ka putaputa haere ake i te whanaketanga hāpori; ka hūmāriē haere ake te tangata, ka pērā anō hoki ō rātau hāhi. Whakapapa atu ki tā Wākena (1985, 2006) tātarihanga i ētahi wāhanga mātai whaiaroaro o te taupatupatu i muri mai i 9/11 i waenga i a Ameika me ētahi Muhirama, ka puta ake te whakaaro he wāhi tuku momo tangata whakaatu iwi tangata kē te hāhi, ehara i te pūtaketanga o te riri. Ka whakahauhia ake te kī a Jung, he rite kē ngā “atua” ki ngā aranga kauwaka mauri moe kaua ki ngā kitenga kanohi.