Opium of the people . Question for Atheists /agnostics

[Underhill]

“Religious suffering is at one and the same time the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” - Karl Marx

Just curious, even if you find religion is just an opiate, do you see it as an opiate that should be thrown out?

Opiates are very important. I've known disabled people that claim without their pain killers they would kill people.

Without this opium of the people, there may be more pain , greed, materialism, sex-addiction, pride, and anger, which could create more violence and sociopathic tenancies, no?
So, perhaps this "opium of the people " is very important.

Napoleon had no personal use for Religion other than belief in his lucky star, but did find Religion useful for political reasons. He made Catholicism the official Religion of His Empire.

He said Religion "prevented the poor from killing the rich."

Do you as an agnostic /atheist see any positive use for Religion?
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I have witnessed religion being the motivator of positive change in people. But I don't think it is truly the religion but the people. Having a support network is something many people desperately need and almost everyone should have.

Behavior is often down to expectation. This is why when someone wants to lose weight, they are told to tell all their friends about the changes they are making. This makes them accountable for their actions. I think the people within religion hold each other accountable.

I say this because I have witnessed the exact same kinds of change among atheist who join a secular support network. The problem is often that these are few and far between so people often fall into the trap of thinking that religion is their only option. They may even be right, depending on where they live.

 

[Spiderman]

Having read things like the Bible and Koran, we would be so much better off without people claiming such atrocities as a guide of morality. Anything that promotes, condones, and permits rape, genocide, slavery, or other forms of violence has got to go. It's not like we're living in accordance to "Biblical principles" anyways. If it's all true, pretty much just about every Christian today is going to be called "the least" in the Kingdom for not strictly adhering to the Law.

The Old Testament contains many disgusting verses that justify what you are speaking of and in my opinion God screwd up, but Jesus taught people to love their enemies, forgive, turn the other cheek, and when Apostles picked up swords to defend him he said "put down your sword, those who live by the sword will die by the sword".

He said all the law hangs on two commandments, "Love God and love your neighbor as yourself". However, if everyone did what Jesus commanded, there would be no violence, the poor and sick would be cared for, and people would do unto others as they would want done to themselves.

But I do understand your disgust with those verses in the Bible and the Koran, because I have similar feelings.

 

[Spiderman]

Religion can be a powerful pain-reliever. I've experienced how faith has given complete relief to total agony. I've also known others who swear by the same thing.

I've also known more than one person who claims they had cancerous tumors miraculously disappear.

But religion can cause more pain too. You have to be careful which Dogmas you embrace. I went through that phase where I thought the average person I met would be going to a place of eternal torment.

If you believe such things and you struggle with severe anxiety and depression, I can guarantee you that such a system of belief is making your depression and anxiety worse, if not the primary cause of it.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

“Religious suffering is at one and the same time the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” - Karl Marx

Just curious, even if you find religion is just an opiate, do you see it as an opiate that should be thrown out?

Opiates are very important. I've known disabled people that claim without their pain killers they would kill people.

Without this opium of the people, there may be more pain , greed, materialism, sex-addiction, pride, and anger, which could create more violence and sociopathic tenancies, no?
So, perhaps this "opium of the people " is very important.

Napoleon had no personal use for Religion other than belief in his lucky star, but did find Religion useful for political reasons. He made Catholicism the official Religion of His Empire.

He said Religion "prevented the poor from killing the rich."

Do you as an agnostic /atheist see any positive use for Religion?
View attachment 15120

From my perspective, you driven the proverbial stake into the heart of the matter.

Religion is a tool used by the ruling class to create and maintain an orthodoxy of behaviour, in order to keep the population placated and manageable.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I've also known more than one person who claims they had cancerous tumors miraculously disappear.

They may have. For some reason that currently remains unanswered, tumors sometimes spontaneously vanish.

If you believe such things and you struggle with severe anxiety and depression, I can guarantee you that such a system of belief is making your depression and anxiety worse, if not the primary cause of it.

I used to have such believes, and indeed it made me psychologically and emotionally in a very deep and dark place, where my dreams where tormenting nightmares of the anguish of Hell.