why is it important for anyone to have a religious belief?

Question

why is religion called the opium of the masses

Answer 1

A few years ago, our dad comes home and asks me and my sister to get ready. "Get ready, kids, we're going to a special place!". I was like: "Alright! a special place, finally!!.". We got ready, in a jiffy, grabbed the keys and jumped into the car. Enroute: my sister asks: "Where're we going daddy?". After a little pause dad tells us he's taking us to our new mom. Shock! It was like a boulder dropped on me. I was gaping dumbly at my then 9yr old sister. All sorts of nasty things went through my head: That's it! We're going to have step-brothers and step-sisters. We'll be treated badly. She'll rob our dad blind, etc. I took my sister aside and whispered: "Look, we're going to be real nasty to that "aunty" dad's going to meet us with, okay?". She nodded. We were "ready".

Dad stopped at a temple. I thought "Cunning woman! she wants to trap dad in her devotional charm !". We got down, and climbed the steps of the Temple. There I was, anxiously looking at every "young-looking" lady with a "pretty" face, with a perfect child-like curiosity. I was beginning to hate being there in doing something "out of purpose" in a Temple. Then as we got into the queues of the Temple, got further in, finally dad said it: "There, your new mom" he pointed. He was pointing at the idol of Goddess Durga. I fould myself drained, feeling more than "stupid" for such knave and stupid thoughts of mine. Dad lifted my sister into his arms, "There, look, she's got a tiger! and look, that golden trident....." My respect for the man grew many-fold ever since. Our dad has been a very busy man, busier after we lost mom. So he needed our deprivation of a mom to be fulfilled by something religious, beyond those pretty nurses, who came home to baby-sit my sister in his absence.

It worked. Religion is what you want it to be, not anymore that pre-renaissance dogma it used to be, just a couple of decades ago, of what my dad grew up in. Religion, Philosophy and Science, according to Pt. Nehru in "The Discovery of India" are the three pillars of human society, without even one of which, the society collapses into barbarism, "chaos and confusion", according to Nehru. While Science seeks truth through verifying natural phenomena in controlled conditions, and Philosophy seeks the ultimate truth of our existence, Religion is that which fabricates the super-structure by providing guidelines for the society to move forward. Religious manuscripts, the Gita, the Bible and the Koran, namely, serve as "User Manuals" for people to make the most out of their lives. Religion keeps check on the mishappenings. The problem here arises, when a person begins to treat Religion as a dogma, not a set of guidelines. He then becomes a fanatic, and goes out of his way to "defend" his Religion from "dangers" what he feels. This is what gave rise to extremist groups in Islam, while Islam itself, is actually a very beautiful, powerful and tolerant religion itself. Such extremist groups innately give rise to complimentary, opposite, retaliative extremist groups of another Religion, which damages the pillar of Religion itself, contradicts the laws written in the manuscripts themselves, and causes "chaos and confusion" what Nehru is trying to warn us Indians of. Karl Marx was basically trying to attract the Russians (fed up of the Czars) by using "provocative" words, that's why the "religion called the opium of the masses" thing. Don't follow that line. You very well know where America stands today against Russia (Former USSR). The Americans may be what they are "good or bad", but atleast America's elders are quite religious. "In God we trust" says every bank note and coin which we call US Dollar.

So ultimately, Religion is like a cola-vending machine, You just have to insert your coin, your "coin of faith", and choose which flavour of cola you want. If you seek solace, Religion has plenty in store. You want comfort, you'll get it 5-star. You want something nasty, you'll be asking for a poison-pill.

Answer 2

It is not important, you can have a full life without any religious belief. And if you want to know why religion is called opium for the people, just look around here in R&S and read the answers. Hint: Every person reacts differently on opium.

Answer 3

A long time ago Karl Marx coined his famous dictum: religion is the opium of the masses. Since then, is has been quoted over and over ad nauseam, mostly to prove the evils of religion.
People really don't need to believe in a religion..they need to believe in God. However, people of the same faith normally love the company of each other; just like people who like to drink normally meet at the Whiskey Bar. It's a social thing.

Answer 4

Well, religion can help a person learn more about himself and can bring about great personal understanding, enlightenment, and a deep spiritual connection with all that is. However, people can be very vulnerable spiritually. (Most are) Spiritual abuse is nothing new. People often give their spiritual leaders a lot of power over them. Therefore - it's easy to control people through religion. It's the opium of the masses because it can distract, control, and pre-occupy the masses while the elected leaders of the people are doing things they shouldn't be.

Answer 5

Religion is called the opium of the masses because people use their beliefs as an excuse to believe that they are somehow better than another or to explain why they have the right to persecute others.

At the very least and in its mildest form, it breeds apathy...people can write-off tragic events such as wars and needless violence as being unavoidable or the will of God. "if that person wasn't so sinful, God would have saved them", when if fact, it wasn't God who commited the violence but another human being.

Answer 6

For large numbers of people religion is their only source of ethics. I have seen first hand the devastating effects of kids raised without religion AND without science or ethics or anything else. It's bad. Better they should have some kind of religion and community than no access to ethics at all.
Of course the best thing is to be raised with ethical and effective practices rather than religion but until that becomes possible religion remains important.

Answer 7

Some people feel the need for religion as it gives them a sense of direction and a purpose in life. Not everybody needs religion however.

Answer 8

well it actually important in sociesties where control of the masses is necessary. that's where religion comes in.

religion has a powerful and empowering effect over people like drugs, ya know. thats if your weak minded and ignorant.

Answer 9

It is the bedrock of western civilization.No moral anchor means no compassion for serfs or "goyim".Karl Marx penned the foolish phrase.Look at that fool's life.He abused and deserted his family.Some of his kids chose suicide over his ideology.His philosophy caused the deaths of 80-100 million people in the 20th century.

Answer 10

Religion gives people exuses to do stupid things. Therefore, it is the single most important tactic warlords ever created, lol

Answer 11

blame
when humans blame each other... they kill each other.
and inocents get killed in the crossfire
(getting harder to find innocents these days)

if humans can blame someone they cant see, they cant
kill them. and innocents get to live.

I hope there is a god though, because as dumb as most
humans are, eventually they would realize no one was gonna
punish them for their stupidity.....
and they would not feel bad at all about becomming
EVEN MORE stupid.

and thats just sad.