In order to focus my analysis, I shall center my essay upon a discussion of the following 5-step argument, assumed here to be valid, but not necessarily sound, making the issue of soundness the key issue:

(1) The first point that Hick makes in damaging the theory of sociological religion is the assumption that the theory fails to account for: "God loves all human beings and summons all men and women to care for one another as brothers and sisters." On the contrary, society tends to serve and act as God would in this situation. Society is almost always pro "world peace" and would favor the idea of loving everyone, but instead replaces the love for respect, which seems to be more realistic. The realistic view that this provides seems to be philosophically interesting because it doesn't pose unrealistic images of loving ever

The sociological theory doesn't denounce the idea of anyone leading or taking authority of the group. Within society, someone must always stand out. Maybe not religiously towards god, but there must be some sort of leader. This is something that Cupit denied in his book After God, in his chapter titled "Innocent Religion". In this chapter he explained that religious groups should come together and have no higher power or authority.

(2) The second point that Hick brings up states the theory of sociological religion lacking any thought to prophets and their role with God. According to Hick, within the sociological boundaries, a prophet can't be possible. A prophet can not get information from God outside society, because within society nobody stands out or is above anyone else. The fact that the sociological theory states that anyone above the group is not necessarily part of the group is philosophically interesting. It's philosophically interesting because finally a group has denounced the theory of prophets and higher beings that walk the same earth we walk on. Is there anyone above us or the group, besides God? Wouldn't God prefer us to better each other as a whole rather some individual with divine claims of moral deity?

(3) The sociological theory though, doesn't make any claims that higher powers, authority or prophets exist. They are probably not discussing the subject because it doesn't matter which person is above another. It is society that is the most important. It is society where individuals can come to and feel the presence of god. It is society where others feel support: "In the way in which the individual is carried and supported in all the major crises of life by the society to which he or she belongs." This is philosophically interesting because sociological theory doesn't claim any connections to higher beings like other religious groups thrive on.

(4) The sociological theory states t

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Approximate Word count = 1306
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)