Atheism, Not Religion, is the Opiate of the Masses

      Karl Marx famously once said that “religion is the opiate of the masses.” While many people, especially in the West have discredited his ideas, they have not discredited all of them.  This is one of them. Not without seemingly logical (though I will argue as faulty) arguments, many people, particularly atheists, believe this idea, not because Marx said it, but because it seems like a true principle.

      And at first glance, it does!

      Us Christians don’t have to worry about life because we’ve got a big santa grandpa up in the clouds taking care of all our wishes and bruises while atheists “realize” that there is no such thing and they have to fix their own problems, right?

      

      Wrong.

      When looked at closely we can realize that Atheism, not religion, particularly Christianity, is the opiate of the masses.

      Religion does not dull our senses, nor does it make us feel better. C.S. Lewis stated that he knew that Christianity would never make him happy; he always realized a “good bottle of port would do that.” Christians realize that their actions have consequences and that they are responsible to somebody, something greater than themselves. Sure, in the end, they’ll go to heaven. But they realize heaven is not now and they live in a fallen and sad world and that they have a “Prime Directive” from God to lead a righteous and God-fearing life and spread his word to the end of the earth. There is nothing light about their task and it takes a clear, not dull, mind to accomplish it.

       Atheism creates a certain mindset of irresponsibility. Much like an opiate, a belief in no God helps create a sense that as humans we are not responsible for the consequences of our actions. Our actions do not have any eternal consequences because there is no objective moral truth. In reality things like rape, murder, and thievery are not objectively wrong; they are seen as wrong because they are simply products of naturalistic evolution. A belief in no God is much more reassuring and easier to live with because we can do whatever we want simply because it’s not really “wrong.” It’s just unhealthy for our culture. “We can do anything we want; life is a free for all.”

      Now, to be clear…

      I am NOT saying that Atheists are evil, immoral people. There are good atheists and there are bad Christians. I am simply saying that a life without a God is easier and more of an opiate than a life with a God. A world where we are not responsible for our actions makes us feel better about ourselves and not really analyze what we are doing, why we are doing, and the consequences of our doings.