2006-07-24 08:53:48 · 9 answers · asked by jikg 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Opiates are supposed to calm people, that's what Marx thought religions did. If that were true, then there would be no religous wars or killings.
2006-07-24 09:02:58 · answer #1 · answered by strausseman 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What Marx meant by "opiate of the masses" was that religion was a powerful cultural anaesthetic. It gave comfort/relieved pain without actually altering the underlying social illnesses. Anyone who takes a hard look at society can see many instances in which Marx's claim was correct. Many times in our history, the power of religious belief has been used to provide empty comfort but not actually help people. However, Marx seemed to be unaware of the religiously-motivated social reformers that may have been more common in the Americas than in the Europe of his day. Thus, Marx was correct, but only some of the time.
2006-07-24 15:59:47 · answer #2 · answered by Hoosier Daddy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To some people, religion allows them to accept certain realities based on faith. As such, religion can help with feelings of dread, fear and hopelessness in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. I would not think that you would want to generalize, as Karl Marx did, that this means that religion is bad. There will be a line drawn in which using religion as "an opiate" will do more harm than good. If the dread is being caused by injustices in culture and religion avoids rather than curse thees injustices, than it falls into what Marx was talking about.
Hope this helps,
Bill
2006-07-24 16:04:18 · answer #3 · answered by Billy! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell yes, go listen to Opium of the People by Slipknot. Its a kickass song.
2006-07-24 15:59:23 · answer #4 · answered by azmurath 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Karl Marx is a communist Bastard. <1>
Opium is a narcotic that is an addiction while religion frees a man to explore God and himself/herself.
2006-07-24 16:01:06 · answer #5 · answered by Giggly Giraffe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religion is the most important thing to humans it teaches us the word of God and the word of Jesus. So religion is something no one can miss its important it brings us close to God and Jesus.
2006-07-24 15:58:48 · answer #6 · answered by mamas_grandmasboy06 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's exactly what Carl Marx said!
Look where Communism has taken MILLIONS!
2006-07-24 15:58:43 · answer #7 · answered by whynotaskdon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hell no not unless you get high off of killing people
2006-07-24 15:57:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe it to be.
2006-07-24 16:00:10 · answer #9 · answered by Pop D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋