Religion - The Opiate of the People

1364 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Karl Marx’s view on religion

I’m not often fond of Marx, the poor fool never recognized the inherent problems of his rather incoherent and unrealistic philosophy, but, I do think that an intelligent man, no matter how deluded can occasionally hit on the right idea. What idea? Simple, “Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes,” that is, Religion is the opiate of the (common) people. On this, there can be no question he is absolutely right, opiates and religion are one in the same. A man addicted to opiates finds his world more cheerful under the influence of the latex of poppies, sees value in life through the dreamy gaze of opium induced euphoria, and acts in a neurotic and delusional manner with his mind impaired in the opiate induced stupor he brings upon himself. So it is with religion, as humans find their world happy and meaningful with opium, so do they with religion. As with the neuroses of Opium induced pipe dreams, religion makes man persecute those who refuse to conform, it oppresses progress in the name of dogma, it flies planes into buildings, it demands the removal of secular ideas from government in the name of theocracy, it is an existential threat to every progressive idea. It too, is an existential threat to the world we live in, Jihadis and supposedly modern leaders who call themselves crusaders fight for control of the Middle East, nudging the world ever closer to complete war in the name of fictional mythologies and neuroses. In this conflict, the greatest threat to human existence must be squarely pointed out and eliminated, the nihilistic faith of Christianity. Though Islam is not a progressive faith by any standard, it does not threaten the very idea of liberty in the world, for it is fundamentally not rooted in the Western culture whe...

... middle of paper ...

...forcefully, their churches must turned into houses of the people or museums of science, their Creation Science textbooks burned, their children turned into Atheists and their preachers committed to lunatic asylums. Their status as religion should be replaced with one of mental disorder, and those who believe in their backward and barbaric ideologies medicated heavily and given thorough educations in matters of reality. I will admit, this is not in the spirit of modern liberty, but if we refuse to act, we shall see the complete destruction of humanity enacted possibly by these fanatics in the United States. To save the world, we must destroy their rapture-obsessed, neurotic, and imbecilic philosophy, so that religion may finally be allowed to die in the West, leading to a future of progress free from the Bronze Age ideas of morality the Christian portrays as truth.

Show More
Related

  • Freud's Attack On Christianity Essay

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, I want to identify who Marx and Nietzsche are and their critiques on religion. Karl

    Read More

  • The Role Of Religion In Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx

    396 Words  | 1 Pages

    The fear of early twentieth century dystopian writers is the fear that people in general had in this era; what is the impact of communism or what the future of religion with evolution and Darwinism would be. The may concern was that if religion was obsolete, what would replace it as the moral compass of the people. One of the most important individuals of the early twentieth century Karl Marx had his own philosophy for a replacement. The role of religion in Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto is stated as,” But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion, and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new basis…’" (Marx 19) That new bases he mentioned in the quote is the state, the new morale code that society must follow.

    Read More

  • Humanism in the Battle for the Mind by Tim LaHaye

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Battle for the Mind, which was published in 1980, LaHaye discusses how conservative Christians could “take back America” around a conservative political agenda, and from the standpoint of the field of anthropology, focuses on the struggle with modernity among those who reject it, although LaHaye was unlikely to be thinking in those terms. In this book, LaHaye clearly identifies what he sees as the real enemy of American Christians. He uses the phrase “secular humanism” to describe the enemy, but gives it a new conspiratorial definition. Simply defined, humanism is man’s attempt to solve his problems independently of God. According to LaHaye, humanism seems so credible and logical to the man who does not understand God’s wisdom, that it is adopted readily by the masses. He also believes that today’s wave of crime and violence can be laid right at the door of secular humanism.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Karl Marx's Writing Of The Communist Manifesto

    2472 Words  | 5 Pages

    Karl Marx 's writing of ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1848 has been documented by a vast number of academics as one of the most influential pieces of political texts written in the modern era. Its ideologically driven ideas formed the solid foundation of the Communist movement throughout the 20th century, offering a greater alternative for those who were rapidly becoming disillusioned and frustrated with the growing wealth and social divisions created by capitalism. A feeling not just felt in by a couple of individuals in one society, but a feeling that was spreading throughout various societies worldwide. As Toma highlights in his work, Marx felt that ‘capitalism would produce a crisis-ridden, polarized society destined to be taken over by

    Read More

  • Why Does Marx Argue That Religion Acts As A Drugs And Opium Case Study

    1764 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marx argues religion acts as a drug to be more exact like opium. People who usually do drugs do it typically because it is an escape from their problems. Likewise, people typically follow a religion because it help’s them escape from their problems. Following a religion helps them to numb the pain of reality. Some people born in society have it better than others and for those who do not religion turn into a great hope for them. Additionally, Marx goes onto say religion is man made and we do not need it to survive. Furthermore, the more people have the less they tend to care about religion. For example,

    Read More

  • Comparing Otto, Freud, And Tillich's Interpretation Of Religion

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Marx, religion comes from the imagination of the mind, “Man makes religion.” (H/R,p.11) Marx believes in Atheism and that religion is simply justification to our actions and behaviors as “followers.”

    Read More

  • Religion: A Want or Need?

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Throughout time, religion has been debated to the point where many have philosophers have claimed it as a crutch for individuals in times of depression or despair. However, the purpose of religion has been argued numerous times and now the age old question remains whether or not religion is a want or a need. This question has been debated, and it is clear where philosophers such as Kierkegaard, James and Nietzsche stand, in regards to such prominent men as Marx, Skinner and Freud. Both sides pose salient arguments and each present strong points. Based on each argument presented, religion is therefore both a want and a need under certain conditions.

    Read More

  • Religion In Sonny's Blues

    1429 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion is a difficult thing to define – although the word implies a deep, spiritual connection with an entity, that is where the concrete label of religion ends. A person can possess religious feelings towards nearly anything, whether it is in the form of a bond with an omnipotent creator, an intense connection with music, or even an unbreakable addiction to a drug. This was a point of emphasis for Karl Marx in “A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right;” specifically, the critical presence of religion in our lives. Marx states that religion is “the opium of the people” – he classifies it as a lifeline to the oppressed, a human creation that offers indispensable hope and meaning. In “Sonny's Blues,” the titular character's

    Read More

  • Marxist View On Religion Essay

    637 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marx predicted that religion would disappear as a phenomenon of false (because there is no God, according to Marx), and churches will become museums. All see how the number of churches in the world increases, a church becoming the heavy believers. However, the council rejected Marx, and yet kept his not believing in God.

    Read More

  • The Individual Being in Hegel's Philosophy

    1745 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...im, nor explain or rationalize God's will while in the faith. Whereas Marx finds Hegel's frustratingly apathetic towards the worker's struggle. Hegel's disregard for the physical being and objective nature is the cause of Marx's disenchantment with Hegel. Marx also recognizes the need for the individual as a utility to begin the Bloody Revolution. Without the individual, the secular Giest has no ground to stand upon.

    Read More

  • Protest Atheism: The Myth that Denies God's Existence Due to Evil

    1850 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Karl Marx on Religion: The Opiate of the Masses?" About.com Agnosticism / Atheism. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Karl Marx, Max Weber, And Emile Durkheim

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    In discussing the similarities between Marx, Weber and Durkheim, it is important to understand what social order and social change are. Social order is the systems of social structures (relations, values and practice etc.) that maintain and enforce certain patterns of behaviour. Whereas, social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society, examples of such alterations can be changes in nature, social institutions, behaviours and/or social relations. (Bratton and Denham 2014) Throughout time, religion has always been a hot topic of controversy, whether it is based on being a part of the same religion, to having different religious views on life and how to live life. This is due in large to the ever changing views on religion and the way it can be practised. Religion can be viewed in both aspects of social order and social change because it is part of a system, however, alterations are frequently made. The three sociologists Marx, Weber and Durkheim have all expressed their views on religion with respect to society. Webers’ views show the effects

    Read More

  • Marxism in Animal Farm

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marx argues that religion is just a man-made thing to create a community because humans can’t survive without community. He says that the communist government can replace the feeling of “being equal in God’s eye” to “being equal in the eyes of the law” (Wolff, 2003). Marxism fights for the freedom of the working class, who are usually paid minimum wage just to survive (Blunden, n.d.).

    Read More

  • Weber's Thoughts on Social Action

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marx saw religion as a tool for class oppression because of the conflict it provided for societies. According to Marx, “religion is the opium of the people” and “religion promotes stratification because it supports a hierarchy of people in Earth and the subordination of humankind to divine authority.” Marx believes that man makes religion, and not vice versa. He argues that religion is a mere product of man and is for people who have not won himself or has lost himself again. He calls for the banishment of religion stating that religion is just an illusion of happiness and the abolition of it is a demand for real happiness. Religion highlights social conditions and causes people to think and act the way religion teaches instead of having individuals act based on their own agency.

    Read More

  • Karl Marx and His View on Religion

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marx saw religion as an evil that existed in society and that it brought down all the people that believed in that religion. Marx said that, ?It [religion] is the opium of the people,?[1] and in saying this, Marx meant that religion was contagious on society. Once the society had a taste for the religion, they became totally engulfed it in, and then they do not want to get out of that way of live because they see it as a good way to live. Then even if people wanted to get out of the religion it was hard to get out because the whole society had already been infected by the ?opium.?

    Read More

More about Religion - The Opiate of the People

Open Document