Is Religion the "Opiate of the People"?

[CastleStormer]

I hate to break this to you gents, but there is plenty of water in Texas. There could be plenty of food if we didn't actually pay farmers not to grow crops. And there is plenty of energy if the big oil companies would sit down and shut up.

Don't buy into the lie of chicken little. The sky is not falling.

[Rain]

Originally posted by AnarchistPatriot
I often wondered if Marx was really condemning religion. Or rather was he saying that the churches had become enemies of social change.

Thats an interesting question. It reminds me of Neitzche's "God Is Dead" essay, which unfortunately many people totally misunderstood.

May I also refer to such famous Christian philosophers like Kierkegaard who denied Church until their very death, yet maintained that they are good Christians and that they serve God.

This is the key. The Bible vs The Church, The Quran vs The Mullas, The ideal vs The twisted interpretation.

We have no right to claim God's name, for it belongs only to God, which means there is no point in a religious institution. Therefore, such institutions are political bodies, as opposed to divine insititutions.


While Marxist states have vigorously opposed religion, I do wonder if religion and social revolution can be compatible.

Of course. This is the history of Islam, started in a backward region and turned into one of the greatest empires in the world, greater than Rome I must add. Some of the biggest innovations of humanity were conceived under the banner of Islam during the Islamic Empire. Economic, Scientific, Literary and Artistic progress was motivated by faith during the Caliphate, and this model stands as an example to humanity of religion merged with progress, or social change, etc.

Of course like all empires, the Islamic Empire collapsed, leaving behind a bunch of autonomous states that were later colonized and pushed into civil and religious strife. But thats another subject already.

Rain

[AnarchistPatriot]

Originally posted by Armelius
If you haven't read my other threads in the religion forum anarchistpatriot, then please do so.

From what I gathered, especially in thesollonians, you cannot be lawless and a member of a faith that expects to be saved.

Jesus's kingdom is not of this world. Enough said.