The atheist philosopher Sigmund Freud believed that religion was invented as a way to deal with the impersonal forces of nature that seem hostile to human existence. He proposed two theories to explain the origin of religion, including the personalization of nature and the sacralization of nature. According to Freud, humans transfer personal qualities and characteristics to impersonal forces, such as storms and floods, to make them more manageable and to provide a sense of control and security. [... more]