Marxist views on beliefs

What do Marxists think of religion?

They see it as a conservative force that is an instrument of social control and exploitation 

Religion as the opium of the people- who said it, examples

Marx says it is the heart in a heartless world meaning its a refuge from society’s exploitation. It promises an eventual escape from suffering and oppression => eases pain of poverty and poor will believe they are perhaps better off in the long run 

EG = Lazarus = beggar told he would go to heaven and rich man in hell

‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven’

Lenin calls religion a spiritual gin = obscures reality => STOPS REBELLION 

Legitimating Ruling Class Power = examples

Power presented as God given in Christianity. It is an instrument of social control as a way of legitimising the ruling class position. => inequalities between the rich and poor are inevitable

Caste System = it is your own shame for your place on the caste (had bad karma in your old life) = they can keep their positions at the top and retain top status.

Religious hymns such as ‘God made them highly and lowly’ means that to challenge a hierarchy you are challenging God himself => DEVELOPS A FALSE CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

AO3 Marxism

• Less than 10% of people attend Church = lost its power to act as an ISA and has limited reach => outdated

• Functionalists would say that they ignore the positive ways religion can be a conservative force

• Determinism = people won’t automatically believe everything they hear and we can question what we get taught

• Neo-Marxists would argue that religion can challenege rich and Cpaitalism and criticse people for greed