Karl Marx and Religion

Marx was incorrect to call religion the “opiate of the people.” Many people are taken over by their religion, but at the same time people are not off in their own worlds. Religion gives a foundation for the world in which people live. While people may have their particular religion that they belief in, it does not mean that they ignore others ideas. He does not recognize the positive benefits of religion; instead in this article he focuses on the negative and the weakness of religion. Although some of his points are valid and true, he is being overly harsh in his criticism of religion.

Marx first makes the argument that “[m] an makes religion, religion does not make man,” this statement is completely true. Even though most religions are based on the belief of a higher power, it is up to the people to develop certain beliefs and myths. However, he then goes on to say that a country and the people of the country have formed a religion because they do now know what is real in the world and religion is their excuse. This view is stretched and is a very general statement. Marx is assuming that everyone associated with a religion does not understand the world and what is real, but he cannot simply make this statement without any actual proof. He may be alluding to the fact that religion is based on a higher power and myths, which he does not believe exist, so therefore others view of the world would not be real.

In Marx’s view, he believes that religion was made for those people who do not have anything in the world and for those whose lives are unbearable. As he says, “[r] eligion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world and the soul of the soulless conditions….The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness.” Marx believes that religious people have horrible lives, and thus they turn to religion to mask their unhappiness. By removing religion, people can see how truly intolerable their lives are, and ‘demand their real happiness.’

Throughout the article Marx does make a few legitimate points, however most of them are of negative nature. Marx believes that religion is an explanation for those who do not know their purpose in life and for those whose lives are suffering. The world is today was then a world “whose spiritual aroma is religion,” whether or not it plays a big part in every ones life and whether or not one believes in religion. He does not see the positive aspects of religion and therefore is very critical of those who are religious.