The quote that is given the same misinterpretation of the religous debate by both sides, AKA, 'the opium of the people' doesn't mean what you think

[Waffles731]

So I've been thinking of writing this take for a long time and I'm really tired of people saying, 'marx thought religion was the opium of the people' without knowing the full quote and the context because both are essential to understanding its actual meaning.

So in 1848 this dude, Karl Marx whose beard is better than any beard you will ever grow.

published the communist manifesto and in it is included this little quote that has been taken out of context for the last I don't know 169 years or so, 'Religion is the opium of the people'

Now to start to start with, Now a better translation for a modern audience would probably be something like, 'Religion is the Aspirin of the people.' I can't take credit for that, this goes to Kurt Vonnegut for that quote

And the great Vonnegut is correct in his assertion, Opium and its derivatives were the only painkillers out there.

Second as I pointed out the full quote is,

The sigh of the oppressed creature? The Heart of a Heartless World, the Soul of Soulless Conditions?

None of that sounds anti-religious this of course makes perfect sense when you realize that their inspiration was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_the_Just

The League of the Just who were advocating CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM!

So please the next time you look at talking about how religion either sucks and how Marx made the best statement imaginable or how religion is the bee's knees and that its proof that Marx was either stupid or evil that he said its the opium of the people, shut the fuck up cause you have no idea what you are talking about.

#quotemined

#Historicalcontextisimportant

[Tabbie]

He definitely meant the metaphor to be more complex than that. Opium was indeed pretty much the only available painkiller and widely used, but that didn't mean the negative effects of opitates weren't readily observable too. People would go through the motions of life with the help of opium, not actually addressing the source of their pain because healthcare cost too much, but taking opium which itself degraded their health over time and cleaned them out financially because they had to keep taking more and more to feed their addiction/ because of becoming 'immune' to smaller doses' effects.

Like opium, religion both temporarily distracts from pain/ makes one not care that they're in pain, and subdues the masses from rebelling against the source of their pain: oppression.

Not saying I totally agree but that was definitely the classical Marxist view (coming from someone who studies Sociology at uni :3 :$ ). By all means critique Marx's anti-religious views while being socialist, but revisionism helps no-one.

[Tabbie]

Also he was criticizing religious institutions which were exploitative, not religious people as individuals. I find that hard to argue with tbh 'cause I'm very uncomfortable with dogmatic forms of religion

[Waffles731]

neither am I, I'm a pagan, dogma is not something I like,

[Tabbie]

That's cool, I was sort of Wiccan for a while but now I'm kind of more of a secular witch who might be a bit pantheist depending on your definition haha :') . But definitely a socialist :)

[Waffles731]

I used to hate socialism when I was younger, I don't know why, then I did the research, honestly?
it was woodie guthrie who made me start actually digging, now do actually like socialism

[ATuairiscean]

Brilliant take and I have to confess I have been using that quote out of context all my life.

[ATuairiscean]

Thanks for MHO

[Belgie]

Two things - one, Marx hadn't seen anything yet. Television is the real opium of the people. Or perhaps, social media these days.

And second, the context or deeper meaning in this case, is exactly what most people think. Or to put it another way, it's a corollary to a quote by Napoleon Boneparte who said "Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet. Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."

And that is exactly what Marx meant. Religion is what is used to keep an oppressed population from rising up and casting off their chains and attacking their oppressors en masse. By promising the oppressed that their suffering here is of no real consequence, and all the best happiness is going to happen to them after they die... and getting them to *believe* that nonsense, that's how you can keep the poor of the world oppressed, over worked to the point of death, and make sure they are okay with the situation, and unlikely to rise up and kill you all in your sleep.

[rjroy3]

If partial context doesn't change the interpretation, then it's not misinterpretation. That's just simplifying it, without stating it too simply. Marx hated religion and the only thing that full context offers is describing why he hated religion. He viewed it as a tool for the "oppressors" to control the masses from rising up to take over. Doesn't change the fact he still hated religion and considered himself an enemy to it.

So, in full context the usage of the shorthand statement doesn't change meaning lol. Just gives more background as to the "why" behind the given statement being made by those who use the quote. Now if someone was trying to argue he wasn't against religion, by using this quote then that would be a misrepresentation.

[Wolframium]

Oh! I will never have better beard! I can kill myself then, there is no point… Jeeez, man. I bet nobody really cares. About your assessment of beards.
OK. Religion is stupid. Why? Well, there are no evidence, that any of it is true. However, there is more plausible, likely explanation. People just…made that up. Simple explanation, doesn’t require anything new…
I believe, you are christian, right? What makes your religion the right one? It says so in bible? OK. What about the stuff in quran? It also says, that this is the only true word of god. So…?
No, if you apply scientific method to religion, it just falls apart.

[jacquesvol]

Which one is right? Marx or Kurt Vonnegut or

Whichone is right?

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/.../...-oppressed.jpg

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/.../...921ea3a400.jpg

[QuestionMan]

Placebo sounds more accurate.

[jacquesvol]

@QuestionMan fact is , you can get addicted to a placebo. And besides the placebo effect there's also the nocebo effect. It explains why bad spells in voodoo work.

[Blonde401]

The pub he pretty much wrote his manifeston in used to be my local 😂

[Blonde401]

*manifesto

[Waffles731]

That is fucking awesome

[Blonde401]

Pretty much. Nice place. They're renovating it I think.

[Barrabus_the_Free]

Ok.

Marx is still a piece of shit with flawed ideas, and is directly responsible for the deaths of right around 100 million people in the 20th century.

Isn't this the same guy that never worked a day in his life, and was perpetually in debt due to that? The only reason he wasn't starving to death on the street or spending time in a debtor prison was because his buttbuddy Friedrich Engels kept paying off his debts.

If ANYONE is going to be scrubbed from history, it should be Marx.

[PunkinPie]

I'm so glad you're so much smarter than the rest of us. However, the context you've supplied doesn't change the basic commonly-accepted interpretation that religion is an addictive, soothing cure for human anxiety and fear.

Honestly, if it keeps people from starting riots from angry frustration or from leaping off bridges in despair, then okay. Whatever works.

[QueenofCups]

Marx meant that religion distracts people from the drudgery of their daily lives with visions of heaven.

[PunkinPie]

Yeah... that's how I always understood it. Now we have social media and smartphones.

[SlightlyCrazy]

Oh thus was so nice to read. Thank you thank you thank you !

[creepypanda]

I... what is going on? I've not ascended to the level of intellect required to understand what is meant by this myTake.

[404filenotfound]

Good take, thanks for sharing!

[AllThatSweetJazz]

Ok, but it's still not profound.

[Anonymous]

This made my brain hurt lol

[CT_CD]

Interesting

[Anonymous]

interesting

[Anonymous]

Very cool

[disgustingweebtrash]

Fuck Karl Marx

[Waffles731]

Fuck anime, its mostly just shit anyway

[disgustingweebtrash]

Why am I being down voted for that? FUCK MARXISM

[Anonymous]

ok thanks