Religion is the opium of the masses. Do you agree?

Question

Do you agree with K. Marx's quote, "religion is the opium of the masses"...?

Personally, I think it applies to organized religion. I believe nobody can tell you who to worship and what "values" to believe, nor can the religious powers determin if you "will be saved" or not.

No religion or belief system is more true than the other, nobody holds the absolute key to life, because we, as mortal human beings, simply don't have the answers about the true nature and purpose of our universe. Nobody knows for sure.

So, I believe marx is right when he compares religion to a drug. Organized religion, when based on sheepish following and not on rational and personal individual opinions, acts as nothing more than a way to keep masses controlled, dumbed down, "addicted", and dependant on those that are in power.
Religion has been used to cement the social order of the Middle Ages, promote colonialism, racism, war, agression, etc.

What do you think? Is religion a tool of social control, or not?

Answer 1

so what's wrong with a little opium now and then?

Answer 2

Eclipse,
I think that it's one point of view. I don't accept it. Religion can be an opiate, but it isn't in my case. I still have an identity. I still think. I can even see the flaws (nothing personal) in your logic. I'll explain:

"No religion or belief system is more true than the other,"
How would you absolutely know that? I think that your belief is worth holding on to if that's really what you believe, but it is based upon faith. Your faith. You thought it was true enough to say with confidence and you action was the writing of it. Those are all the key elements that make up faith.

An action, based upon belief, sustained by confidence. That's faith.

So your faith places no value on mine except that I have the right to hold it. With that I agree.

"nobody holds the absolute key to life,"
You believe that because you don't think that there is any rreality to what I believe. I would tell you that you are wrong about that.

Yet you seemed to produce a message that placed what you believe was the truest. I disagree.

So your statement, "No religion or belief system is more true than the other," is eroneous if one of the other religions are actually true.

It is only logical.

Answer 3

Sorry individuals, I might desire to disagree. Marx became into finding to sell his very own time table, a eutopian society wherein all contributors are honestly equivalent. That concept has flaws everywhere. in certainty, in case you reason it with the aid of, it seems an destructive lot like Swiss Cheese. Opium became into great on the time and only the rich ought to discover the money for it. each physique else had to look someplace else to attempt and discover alleviation, contentment and information. That having been reported, faith would not numb the thoughts previous all element of reasoning. It supplies desire. in assessment to opium or the different rapid restoration, faith isn't addictive. each physique isn't equivalent and the seen a communist society has failed persistently. It enslaves this is contributors and nonetheless there'll continuously be some elitist who would be overlord to each physique else. whilst finding on the element of "Controlling the working type," evaluate that faith, is one among the 1st to ascertain regulations of order to maintian a civil society. If something, opium or the different form of entertainment drug is a right away breakdown of societal order. No, at present's opiate is the television. you come abode from a protracted day of paintings and % to miss approximately existence for a on the same time as. What do you do? click on the television. It numbs the thoughts, it tells you whilst to snicker, whilst to cheer, whilst to cry AND, the purveyors can direct you into which ever direction they want you to bypass. I undergo you that people who discover Marx's quote to be actual are maximum in all probability liberal of their concept strategies and resent any quantity of authority as a danger that could impose.

Answer 4

I would agree about Organized Religion, personal faith is a different matter. Ben Franklin, an atheist, was the only Founding Father who wanted Christianity as our national religion, and that was precisely because he considered it the best tool for controlling the uneducated and stupid. I do disagree on one point, I believe that religions which claim to be One True Way are less true than those that recognize the validity of others.

Answer 5

Thats not what Marx was saying at all.
"Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people."

In Marx's day, opium was a medicine and a recreational drug. Believe whatever you want about religion and social control, but don't misquote Marx as support.

Answer 6

Religion wasn't the only thing used to promote all that stuff. You must remember the key concept here. Religion is primarily passed down by word of mouth. Granted there are books and papers and stuff, but they leave much to ones own interpretation. Given this fact....why do we blame the religion when it is the fact that they are human that is really at fault? We are ALL biased. We ALL have passionate beliefs on any number of things. We constantly find things to disagree about, simply because we are creatures prone to be competitive. We are arguers by nature. I'm sure you've been just as guilty of as well as the rest of us. The ones in power aren't any different.
Don't blame the gun when it is the person pulling the trigger.

Answer 7

To the first person to answer.....Nice load of horseshit there, John. Way to hold your nose and blindly drink the kool aid.

Now, to answer the question....

Many great and powerful people... Marx, Napoleon, Hitler etc have noted the power that religion has on people and how it is a great tool for controling people.

I agree alot with the origional poster of this question. I see organized religion in many ways being a drug. A drug can give people a "high" or whatever. It can give people a sense of hope. A drug can be a crutch for the weak. Many people who are into drugs see the drug as their only escape... or something that saves them from being down or depressed.

I have seen all of these same things in people who are addicted to religion.

I talked to a person who smoked pot about their additction one time. Good friend, but they were just a major pot head. Years later I had a talk with a person about religion and she gave me, almost word for word the exact answer for why she was a member of her church as the druggy gave me for their pot addiction.

Things that make you go "hmmm".....

Answer 8

Let's see...Marx. He's the guy that wanted everyone to be
equal or something in some notion called communism. Of
course communism is responsible for the torture and murder
of around 150 million. Somehow I don't really have much
interest in anything he says.

As far as religion goes, stay away from it altogether, it'll kill you.
Marxism, communism, nazism, Islamism, are all religions which
have demonstrated a strong need to murder and torture people.

Instead it is recommended that you develop a loving relationship
with the Almighty God through His Son Jesus.

By the way, the countries that still seem to like Marxism(commies), are Cuba, North Korea, and now Chavez
wants to make Venezuela like Cuba and North Korea.
Will the dummies never cease?

I Corinthians 13;8a, Love never fails!!!!!
8/27/6

Answer 9

I've got only 3 minutes to read your question and answer.

Here goes:
I used this quote from Marx when I was doing a Youth Sunday sermon as a 12th grader!!!

Yes, religion does tend to be the opiate of the people.

However Christianity and I am speaking of being in relationship with the personal and living God, is not. There are many people in churches who are just there because it is the thing to do or because it is good for business or ... But not all people are there for the wrong reasons.

In Bible believing churches it is even less likely that people are there because of an "addiction".

Why do you care?
Do you read the Bible?
Do you go to any church?

Answer 10

Your own opinions smack of dogma. Who have you been reading and following? What makes you correct in your ASSUMPTIONS about organized religions? Karl Marx was a communist, are you also a communist? Or are you merely reciting something you've heard elsewhere? Which would make you as much of a sheep as the people you condemn.

If people want to follow orgainized religion, what's it to you? Why don't you pose the same question about any person or group of people who follow a specific philosophy? Why don't you condemn the followers of "one person, one vote?" Or "the world is round" believers? Your pointed question merely illustrates your myopic view.

Your opinions are just that...opinions...and you have a lot of nerve condemning those who want to follow a particular religious line of thought.

You're just another philosophical elitist liberal. Perhaps you should spend more time and energy on constructive endeavors rather than destructive and derisive questions. Try planting a tree or spending time at the nearest nursing home.

Answer 11

Your naivety is overwhelming! When you say "No religion or belief system is more true than the other", your ignorance is definitely showing. Just because you don't believe a certain way, (say in Jesus Christ) doesn't mean those who do are no more correct than others. The truth is the truth. Making statements like you do or Marx did, does not change the truth. Taking the easy way out with your premise is a cop out. Why not read and STUDY the Bible?