I am not a Marxist or a Communist or a Socialist – I am a moral Capitalist. I am old school, like Adam Smith. Saying that, I came across a historian who was talking about misquotes and partial quotes that tell stories that are not true. One example was Karl Marx’s “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Here is the full paragraph preceding this quote: “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, the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the masses.” I invite you to read that a couple more times so it can soak in. I don’t think Marx was disrespectful of religion – I think he saw both its negative and positive powers. And he wasn’t wrong.
When we believe in God in a mature way, we know that our suffering is both unfair and expected. It makes us angry, yet it tells us that all of us go through it, and it isn’t God’s fault. All people suffer, regardless of faith status. For me, my faith helps me get through it – it reminds me that God is with me- that God is holding me and telling me it will be over soon and I will be okay. It isn’t punishment – it is a part of life. Marx goes on to remind us of the power of faith/religion; it holds us close to God when the unfairness of life is overwhelming. It allows us to care and love when the world is uncaring and loveless. It maintains our soul – our connection to the Almighty – when all else is falling apart and people are cruel. This is why cruelty is never an aspect of God, and those who use God to commit cruel acts are not people of faith.
Religion can be used to anesthetize; it can also be used to ignite change and enact justice. Religion can keep people in their place, the way slave owners in America used it on the enslaved. It can also bring about real change, the way it did during the Civil Rights Movement in America. God is not oppressive or abusive or manipulative – people are. And, sometimes, people use the words of faith in unfaithful ways. They use it to gain power or get rich or lead people down unrighteous paths. Religion isn’t God – it is the way humans interpret and either use God for good or misuse God for self. Karl Marx isn’t a hero to me, but in this, he wasn’t wrong. It is up to each one of us to have a relationship with God and religion that brings about good, not evil. Because God is good; but the rest of us? That’s still to be seen.
Prayer – Merciful God, thank You for Your amazing love – help us to be loving too. Amen.
Today’s art is “Calming the Storm” by Kaye Redman.