It "matters" in my community. Good grief, there are packed churches on every corner on Sunday!
I think you are really asking the communists to not worry so much about religion because it is not hindering their class struggle anyway, right?
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Religion and the ruling class
I understand that Karl Marx, who apparently built on the works of Feuerbach, a German philosopher and anthropologist, came to the conclusion that religion was a very bad thing and that it was "used", to an extent, to divert people away from class consciousness.
I can agree with this analysis perhaps in the context of the 19th century when practically everybody believed in a sovereign God or at least some form/forms of external superior being. However today, for example in the UK, although (I don't know exact figures) around 50% of the population call themselves Christian. Real, practicing, church going christians are more around 11% in number, then you get down to a much lower number of people who genuinely believe in God, i would guess.
My question is whether religion matters anymore because, in the UK, the majority of the population are atheists. Popular culture is atheist and liberal. The church is a dying establishment (the majority of church goers are over the age of 50) but we still have a ruling class stronger than ever. In this sense I don't believe religion to be a major problem. Although followers of God will not be so keen on taking part in a revolution they are not "bad" people. I find it arrogant to assert that there is absolutely no God and I think religious faith, stripped down to it's core, is anti-capitalist and philanthropic. I find it hard to accept in a modern context that religion has any affect on class struggle or that it is associated with the bourgeois or ruling class. There are lawyers and bankers filling church pews with all their private property and wealth who give lip-service to helping the poor and particularly love the Godly argument of "Man's free will" but there are many christians, Jews and muslims who hate capitalism and hate the ruling class in general. I think a socialist society would be more popular to allow freedom of religion in this context.
It "matters" in my community. Good grief, there are packed churches on every corner on Sunday!
I think you are really asking the communists to not worry so much about religion because it is not hindering their class struggle anyway, right?
That's what I mean. What is the problem with people going to church or going to a mosque nowadays?
the power structure built inside those religious institutions.
a lot of people have big confidence in their minister/priest, and that make them vulnerable of being used.
during the serbian conflict you had orthodox priest, blessing serbian soldier, telling them that it was ok to kill muslim, it was god will.
WHY kléber, WHY!!!!!!!
Ok, but I don't see any anglican priests blessing troops going to Iraq, in fact many of them have spoken out against the war in Iraq. I think the role of religion in society has changed since Marx and Engels wrote the manifesto
I dont know about britan, but i guess the ruling class uses it in britan to control the minority and keep them content while they control the rest using other means. In the USA they still use it quite frequently considering the majority still believe here unfortunately.
Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed.-Étienne de La Boétie
I agree
I agree
