**Religion is a pacifying force which blinds people to oppression, justifies suffering and discourages the need for radical change.** The phrase 'Religion is the opium of the people' refers to the way that religion has not only been historically systematically used by those in power to oppress the workers, but the phenomenon in which religion also made individuals [feel better about being oppressed](https://www.britannica.com/video/186414/opposition-religion-Karl-Marx) when they couldn't afford real opium. I believe that to this day religion is still a pacifying force preventing radical change for the following reasons: - Religion works to pacify its followers with promises of being in a better place when they die, discouraging the drive to change their real world situation. - Most organised religions share teachings which preach that God gives us only what we can handle, that we should be grateful for what we have no matter how little it is and not yearn for more, and that any misfortunes are all a part of a greater plan, all of which contribute towards this harmful, pacifying rhetoric and justify suffering. - The 'comfort blanket' of God's love means individuals cannot fathom that he would let anything bad happen to them, so do not recognise their own suffering and oppression let alone stand willing to fight against it. - The fear factor of religion still plays a major role in many cases where individuals are scared of breaking the status quo or acting in extremes for fear of sinning and going to hell.

**perhaps there is a new opium of the people.** - this take was proposed [170 years ago](https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.economist.com/1843/2015/01/05/what-is-the-opium-of-the-people) and things have changed since. the concept is equally relevant, though it is worth questioning whether religion is _still_ the opium of the people. - it is worth exploring why marx made this statement. the comparison to opium evidently refers to its effects being to dissuade people from revolting by giving them a false sense of contentment and peace. it causes. isely why Marx chose it as a metaphor for religion. [like opium, religion may be source of hope, a way of curing an illness, a sigh for a better world; but it is also a result of world out of kilter, and may even be a source of harm in its own right.](https://www.culturematters.org.uk/index.php/culture/religion/item/2692-religion-opium-of-the-people) - as much as this has truth to it, today's world is far different. perhaps our opium is money or celebrity culture, social media even. people collectively numb their problems in many different ways that depend on the kind of society they reside in. in an increasingly secular world, it may not bode well to suggest religion is still our opium or even that we only have one method of achieving the state in which we are blinded and too docile to revolt.