Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism by Paul C. Vitz
Is our belief in God shaped by our relationship with our earthly father?
It was the atheist who first proposed the idea according to Vitz "that belief in God is based on all kinds of irrational, immature needs and wishes, whereas atheism or skepticism flows from a rational, grown-up, no-nonsense view of things as they really are."
Vitz reviews the lives of the prominent atheists and their fathers. He found in most cases a weak, dead or abusive father and in every case there was no strong, beloved father with a close relationship with his son or daughter amongst these atheists.
Vitz then reviews the lives of the prominent theists and their fathers. He found compared to the atheists the theists had a positive father-son relationship or a good father-substitute-and-son relationship.
Is it possible that a dysfunctional father predisposes their children to unbelief?
