Can the Poojaris, Christian padres, Islamic clerics and the manifold evangelists and holy men, work with communists? It is an old question several times being answered by EMS in toe with the famous Lenin’s narrative in ” The attitude of workers party to religion”. In a nutshell it is-when a priest becomes the part of the day to day politics, conscientiously be part of the party responsibilities, and imbibe and acknowledge the party policies,(The comprehensive Lenin's work: volume 15), he is eligible for party membership.
Lenin has been unequivocal that Religion cannot be annihilated with resistances, putting blinkers to its roots, and atheism which blatantly negates religion cannot be integral to the proletarian movement. Lenin decried the strapline “ down with religion, atheism lives long” and pooh-poohed the myth, dismissing it as superficial decor that does not conform with communistic concepts.
The resolution of Cuban communist party on religion in Oct 1980 concedes this argument in currency that the religion is a system which alienates men and is a construct to legitimise the exploitation of one class over the other. It is historically true too in that, religion overtime has acted as the ideological moor for political hegemony. Today our experience is that Faithfull’s can turn into a revolutionary who responds well to the societal obligations while equating himself to be a devote religionist. Fidel Castro has explained that the camaraderie of the two can liberate the world from exploitation. When people converge for the resistance against the predatory exploitation and imperialism, it is immaterial to double-check their stripes for faith or revolutionary spirit.
Harold Sin asserts that the famous quote from Marx; “Religion is the opium of the people” wrung out-of-context had been misconstrued and misinterpreted by the anti-Marxist historians and propagandists with negative overtones that Marxism is anti-religious to its core. Marx had made the remark in the context of the negation of the Hegel’s ideology, in the introduction of Marx’s “A contribution to the critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right” by extending his notion that it is not religion that created man, but the converse is true. Marx writes; “ Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.” It is in continuation of this narrative that the opium phraseology (It is the opium of the people) steps in, wherein he delineates how the religions work as an anodyne. When the stormy winds of the harsh realities of life strike on the face, the balm ceases to relieve your pain, it becomes dysfunctional.
Lenin, speaking of religions in 1905 alluded to this Marxian metaphor and said;” Those who toil and live in want all their lives are taught by religion to be submissive and patient while here on earth, and to take comfort in the hope of a heavenly reward. But those who live by the labour of others are taught by religion to practise charity while on earth, thus offering them a very cheap way of justifying their entire existence as exploiters and selling them at a moderate price ticket to well-being in heaven. Religion is opium for the people. Religion is a sort of spiritual booze, in which the slaves of capital drown their human image, their demand for a life more or less worthy of man.”
Lenin, speaking of religions in 1905 alluded to this Marxian metaphor and said;” Those who toil and live in want all their lives are taught by religion to be submissive and patient while here on earth, and to take comfort in the hope of a heavenly reward. But those who live by the labour of others are taught by religion to practise charity while on earth, thus offering them a very cheap way of justifying their entire existence as exploiters and selling them at a moderate price ticket to well-being in heaven. Religion is opium for the people. Religion is a sort of spiritual booze, in which the slaves of capital drown their human image, their demand for a life more or less worthy of man.”
The religion constructs an unreal public conscience that consigns men to the freaks of fait. Marx underscores the truth that the circumstances that gravitate the layman towards religion is of import. Without due regard to its underpinning causes, any criticism targeting religion ceases to be scientific.
Marxism is not a mechanical instinct on materialistic view. But while it ascertains that the material cosmos is primary, it recognises the different ideologies for its efficacy to influence man. Marx opined that when once an ideology has been accepted by the people it becomes the material forces for a change. Marxism as an ideology strongly disproves the religion when it becomes the tool that strives to hold back the reforms and keep humanity struck in the present. Marxism recognises the believers who seek solace in their faiths. It is not an ideology that is in perpetual conflict with religion. It is the art and science of class struggle. It understands that the major chunk of the oppressed and the tyrannised are religious adherents.
This is based on an article authored by Sri.P.Rajiv, a RajyaSabha MP from Kerala.
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