Religion....It is the opium of the people. Please comment?
439933
Yes, it is the opiate of the masses and has been used for centuries to control people. However it is quickly being replaced by television.
612453
Have you ever heard the expression, "practice what you preach"  They have never learned that.\nMost religion is a puppet of the country that it lives in and rulers like to cause war because they are greedy.\nThey find something wrong with some country, sees them as a threat.  That gets people stirrred up.  Then the leaders say let's takem.  They are going to fight, their familys don't go to fight.  But, when the battle is over and they have what they want.  Their happy and tell the people you saved the world, so their happy.  In other words people are real stupid and let religion be used by the government as a tool for war.  If they would study history.
841399
Racism or religion - people are passionate about both xx
605503
Opium is a highly addictive drug derived from poppy seeds - it is used to produce such Illegal drugs as Heroin, but is also used to provide controlled medical drugs.\n\nAny drug which is derived from Opium is known as an Opiate.
643065
The Davinci code was a well written book.  It has a very interesting plot and the suspense to make it a page turner.  I think that religion turns into a bad thing when it brainwashes one so much that they can't even open their mind to a fictional story.. I could never imagine living life with such a closed mind.  There are lost documents of Jesus's life and nobody even questions where these lost tablets are.  It amazes me how blind people are and I wonder why Im not blind as well, I feel so much more enlightened than most people.   I think religion is a scam because of the followers.  They take the word of god and use to to their advantage to create hate crimes, wars death and judgemental attitudes.  Negative energy is not of God and not of Jesus's teachings... Jesus, God is about love understanding and not killing over his word, or bringing people down with hate and bigotry... Jesus and God talks about hypocrites and the sad thing is most of these people attend church and judge people.  These are the people that corrupt gods word and these are the people that distribute hate and negativity all in the name of the lord.
129410
That is a very narrow view of "religion". Many religious groups, and their beliefs, do not fit your description.
290358
It lies in the interpretation of the texts by people.  I do not think that Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha or any of the Hindi deities said it is OK to go out and kill the innocents.  It is people who are manipulating the religions for their own benefits.  Cowards.
184695
Need more clarification.  What enlightenment are you talking about?   Religion of Buddaisim and Latin America are pretty different
999066
The world is in chaos because people won't mind their own business and let others live within their own beliefs. People need to stop imposing their religious/cultural beliefs on others.\nThere are a lot of people who don't want peace, and others who are rich because of poverty, so not everyone wants the same thing.
843882
Your question is decidedly ambiguous and vague and most likely an attempt to incite virulent responses from religious people.  \n\nSo, I will answer you plainly:\n\nReligion is what we turn to when we have everything else we need and there still seems to be something missing.\n\nReligion is a warm place to bask in the glow of God with your fellow human beings because God loves to show up at sincere gatherings in His name and bless people.  I've seen it happen.\n\nYou're probably a liberal, so I'll quote Marx, "Religion is the opiate of the masses."  I hear that quoted a lot by left wingers.  Is that so bad?  What's an opiate for?  Painkiller.  Euphoria.  Yeah, I do appreciate the therapeutic nature of religion. \n\nIf religion is wrong, what's the harm?  If it's right...well, I think you know the answer to that.  If you didn't care, you wouldn't be asking this question.  Find God.  You need Him.  We all need Him.
617993
No.  The idea that there's no God is opiate for the masses.\n\nLike a drug, secularism deludes people.  It deludes them into thinking that they can do whatever they want in this life.\n\nIt also dulls them to the reality that some day, we will all have to answer to God for our behavior.\n\nReligion is the opiate of the masses?  Whoever pushes this idea, is pushing an "opiate" that is far more dangerous, spiritually speaking, than any other "drug" out there.
1039528
The Opiate of the masses!
817698
Although religion is good in many ways, it has also created a lot of wars. Music can cross boarders that religion can't.
956878
This is definitely one of those areas where the government should keep it's fat nose out of peoples business... How would let's say, Protestants like it if their religion was outlawed, just because they couldn't get 50% of the votes to keep it legal?.. Our religion, what we put into our bodies and a lot of other areas of our lives are none of anyone's business.
903771
I think it's a combination of both politics and religion. This is especially the case when certain people in power use religion as a means for furthering their political goals.
768758
Lots of big issues right now.\n\nI wouldn't call it religion, at least for me.  More of a serious hobby.
921728
I admire people who think like you! You have painted the current turmoil in world beautifully in words. I am also wondering whether the answer lies in RELIGION, POLITICS or HUMAN FOLY in itself. I also agree that life is too precious and too short for squables.