Religion: Plague Upon Civilization?

I've seen this talked about all over the boards and thought it should have its own thread.

Some say that religion degrades working society; that it slows progress and attacks proper advancement of the civilized world.

I tend to agree. What do you think?

A similar thread was started a few days ago- "Religion: Does it give God the shaft?"

Check it out, alot of responses can be found there.

Well Marx and Freud really thought it was a plague, I tend to think it's a little more complex than just that.

Religion has brought some horrible things, Inqusition, Crusades and the current World War 4 to name a few, but there is positive too.

Religion gives meaning to the lives of billions of people, as well as a moral framework and sense of belonging.

What should be the issue is how much people should debate, learn and talk about religion, the more the better I say.

Blessed Be
~Astral

Interesting that Marx is almost always raised in critiques of religion, although his views are a little more nuanced than an absolute criticism of the institution. He described religion as the 'opium of the people,' and this is quoted very often. But what did he really mean by this - that religion is addictive? That religion is dangerous? Or did he mean something much less negative than people realize?

Marx's opinion of religion is simple: it is an illusion whose chief purpose is to provide reasons and excuses to keep society functioning just as it is. Just as capitalism takes our productive labor and alienates us from its value, religion also takes our qualities - our highest ideals and aspirations - and alienates us from them, projecting them onto an alien and unknowable being called a god.

In spite of his obvious dislike of and anger towards religion, Marx did not make religion the primary enemy of workers and communists. For Marx religion really doesn't matter very much - it is not the real problem. Religion is ideas, and ideas are just expressions of material realities. It is a symptom of the disease, not the disease itself.

Although I am no Marxist (a Republican, actually) I think his approach - in not overvaluing the impact of religion on society and history is valid.

P.







[edit on 2-7-2004 by Pauldoe]

[edit on 2-7-2004 by Pauldoe]