karl marx christianity
An essay from reflection paper.
Prompt: In addition to characterizing religion as “the opium of the peopleâ€, Karl Marx also described religion as “the heart of a heartless world.†This suggests that Marx’s consideration of religion, politics, economics and society as a whole was not merely a philosophical exercise, but an active attempt to change the world, to help it find a new heart. In fact, on his tombstone in London is engraved his statement, “The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.”
Bearing this in mind, how would you respond to Marx’s claim that Christianity promotes a slave morality which degrades human nature and withdraws human beings from action? What of Marx’s contention that Christianity is an ideology in the service of the ruling class and prevailing order, and therefore is inherently invested in maintaining the status quo?
