Religion - The Opiate of the People Essay - 1352 Words

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, â€Å"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.†¦show more content†¦The Christian tries to force secular law to conform to the grotesque morality of the Old Testament and its vindictive and childish god, while praising the nihilistic slave morality of the New Testamen t, laboring endlessly so that rational man must live in a society governed by the most irrational and stupid of laws and customs drawn from the most irrational and contradictory mythological volume compiled by man. To the Christian, those who sin must be treated as criminals, and those who do not accept the morality of Christian neurosis should be forced to by the will of the majority. Otherwise perfectly rational positions, being pro-choice, for instance, are attacked not through logic, but through arguments formulated from a tome which to any rational person should appear no more valid than the Iliad. The Christian forces his Ten Commandments and Creation Science onto a secular nation through the majority of people (which means little when the majority of this country is immensely stupid and ignorant), in contravention of the Constitution. The Christian demands the criminalization of gambling, of drugs, of prostitution, it demands that crimes with no victim except their variant of Odin or Zeus be punished with mandatory minimum sentences. They cannot allow sin to exist in this world, for fear their deity will bring down his wrath upon those who permit it. This of course isShow MoreRelatedReligion Is The Opiate Of The People1566 Words   |  7 Pageswhile we question our existence and the deeper meaning of life. We have discovered that religion answers these disconcerting questions. From worldly tradition, we have learned that religion fills those empty gaps in places that we cannot answer our own questions. It creates hope and gives people a meaning and feeling of belonging. Carl Marx describes, â€Å"Religion is the opiate of the people.† It makes people forget about inequality and oppression. It is more than a practice or a belief. It isRead More Pass The Opium, Please Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pages Religion is said to be the opiate of the masses, and it is definitely a point of interest in George Orwells famous novel Animal Farm. In it, Orwell pointedly attacks religion in general and Christianity in particular through the use of a well placed symbolic bird by the name of Moses. Orwells stance is rather apparent as Moses darts about the farm scene conveying the duality of Christianity quite superbly. 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Religion is one ofRead MoreMarx Weber and Durkheim on Religion Essays1378 Words   |  6 PagesA religion can be seen as a unified system of beliefs and practices which are relative to sacred things and beliefs (Giddens 1972, p.224). It can shape ones thoughts and feelings and gives people a sense of hope and something to believe in. All three main sociologist writers Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim offer different perspectives on religion and how important it is to society. Some of the theorists chose to have a positive view whilst others argue the unimportance of religion. This essayRead More Marx’s Views on Religion vs. My Own Essay514 Words   |  3 PagesMarx’s Views on Religion vs. My Own Karl Marx wrote that religion was, â€Å"an opiate of the people.† Although those words were not published in The German Ideology, they best describe his various views on religion. Marx wrote that there was a social relationship between the upper class or bourgeoisie and religion. The upper class that owned the means of production used religion as a tool to keep the working class or proletariat, oppressed and poor. Marx criticized that religion had so many ulteriorRead MoreImmanuel Kant And Karl Marx1690 Words   |  7 Pages The works of German philosopher’s Immanuel Kant and Karl Marx have played significant roles in the development of different sects of philosophy and religion. Immanuel Kant was born in 1724 in Konigsberg, East Prussia, now presently Kaliningrad, to a devout, poverty-stricken family of eleven children. Through his works, it is evident that Kant was raised in the religious teachings and values of pietism as his theories show a heavy influence of his religious upbringing. Kant as a young boy was accustomedRead MoreThe Video Opiate Addiction : Understanding Replacement Therapy Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesIn the video Opiate Addiction: Understanding Replacement Therapy, Scott Farnum talks about methadone replacement therapy. There were many topics covered in this video and the topics were introduced in a psychoeducational format. The topics covered included a brief history opioids, brain chemistry, post acute withdrawal syndrome, abstinence based treatment programs verses harm reduction, and how an individual asses the damages of opioids on the brain. As a counselor in training, I found all the informationRead More Functionalist View on the Role and Functions of Religion in Society716 Words   |  3 PagesFunctionalist View on the Role and Functions of Religion in Society Assess the view that sociological arguments and evidence support the Functionalist view of the role and functions of religion in contemporary society. Functionalists believe that religion is a conservative force, and an institution which adds to the requirements of society. They say it ultimately operates as an agency of socialisation. Durkheim (1912) said that all societies are separated into