I can see what Marx meant about religion being the opiate of the masses. It numbs them down to the horrors of the world. Because who doesn’t want an objective purpose in their life? Who wants to face the possibility that there is no afterlife? Religion answers questions for us and calms us down so we can go back to work without fear. It’s a great tool for control, too.
Which makes me wonder. Was Jesus really the Messiah? I mean, I already know so much about him has been perverted, and changed to suit the purposes of the church, so how do we even know he came back from the dead? How do we know he existed at all? Faith vs. Logic. (Logic can be evil too. Conviction vs. Rationality.)
But a story doesn’t need to be true to be effective, as shown in today’s world. COVID doesn’t have to kill 1% of people, people just have to believe it does, as they still do. And maybe the calmness is the objective of religion. It’s not a bad thing. You just have to acknowledge it. It doesn’t mean you have to attack it, or destroy it. It’s just painkillers for life, even if it is or isn’t true. And sometimes painkillers help us: they allow us to continue and function.