Marxist Theories of Relgion

• Marxists say religion will inherently benefit the bourgeoisie
• Marx calls religion the opium of the people
• Opium of the people means it is a way to null the pains of exploitation for working class people
• According to Marxists, religion leads people into a false direction, that the solutions it promises are illusory
• "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, He made them, high or lowly, and ordered their estate" is a quite to support Marx
• Religion is a form of social control
• Religion will make it seem as those born into privilege are divinely ordained
• Religion teaches of the Divine Right of Kings
• The Divine Right of Kings convinced people that to go against the monarchy is to go against God
• Lord Spirituals are a modern version of the Divine Right of Kings, they receive priority when they wish to speak and will automatically sit in the House of Lords
• Marx views religion as a product of alienation
• Religion convinces the working class people they have to live through their exploitation was it will eventually provide a righteous afterlife
• Reincarnation in Hinduism teaches people that they have to behave truthful and peaceful in order to be reincarnated into a better position so to fight against the capitalist system would lead to a worse place of reincarnation
• However, Marxists are outdated because Martin Luther King JR used his religion to find common ground with people and unify society by creating a value consensus