According to Karl Marx what was the role of religion in Communism?

Answer 1

Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions.

Answer 2

Karl Marx viewed religion as a tool used by the ruling class to maintain control over the working class by promoting passive acceptance of their social conditions. In a communist society, Marx believed that religion would naturally fade away as the material conditions that gave rise to it, such as inequality and oppression, were eliminated. Religion would no longer be needed as a means of social control in a classless society.

Answer 3

Some things Marx said about religion:

On religion's lack of rationality:

Religion is ". . .a complete negation of all reasoning."

It ". . .explains nothing."

On religion's use as a tool to keep the people in place:

Priests ". . . calculate on the cowardice of the congregation."

"It is the opium of the people."

On religion's hypocrisy:

". . . the English Established Church, for example, will more readily pardon an attack on 38 of 39 of its articles than on 1/39 of its income."

Answer 4

Religion would have no role whatsoever under communism. He felt religion was imposed upon the working classes by the upper classes to keep the lower classes ignorant and docile. Since there would be no social classes under communism, there would be no imposition of religion by one class upon another, meaning there would be no use for religion and it would no longer exist.

Answer 5

Karl Marx believed that religion does not make man but rather the opposite, that man makes religion. For Marx, man made religious doctrine is the product of humankind not knowing their true selves. Humankind is "lost" and therefore creates religion. Now mankind has found himself, mankind is the creation of God. With that said, for Marx, the abolition of religion is the way to true happiness.