Marxist and Neo-Marxist View On Religion

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  • Created by: Livy
  • Created on: 25-02-14 14:54
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  • Marxist and Neo-Marxist View On Religion
    • Neo-Marxism
      • OTTO MADURO : LIBERATION THEOLOGY MOVEMENT
        • Believes religion has some independence or RELATIVE AUTONOMY . He denies that religion is a conservative force and believes it can become revolutionary
        • Until catholic priests began to speak up for the poor the church sided with dictatorships.
          • Some priests developed a new theology which interpreted Christianity as being on the side of the oppressed groups.
        • Argued that power and wealth e.g. land should be redistributed from the rich to the poor
      • CARGO CULTS
        • Colonised by Europeans and believed that ships bearing riches would appear over the horizon to give them wealth resulting in Europeans being thrown off the island
          • When the ships didnt appear the cults became radical political movements sedeking the expulsion of colonial occupiers
      • EVALUATION
        • Plenty of evidence to support Neo Marxist view that  religion is not always a conservative force supporting the ruling class
        • Ironically religion has also acted as a radical force for the overthrow of communism.
          • In Poland 1990- the ruling communist party was opposed by free trade unions by the Roman Catholic Church
    • Marxism
      • According to Marxists religion is used to promote the interests of the ruling class by supporting the ruling-class ideology
      • Opium of the masses
        • MARX.  meant that he saw religion as a drug that distorts reality and helps individuals  deal with pain
          • Examples. 1.Promises eternal life 2.Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle that a rich man to enter the kingdom heaven. 3.Judgement Day intervention.
      • Alienation
        • Humans invent an alien being God which they believe to be all powerful and have control over them....They then give up their own true humanity and free will.
      • Social Control
        • False Class  consciousness which justifies the position of the ruling class. They believe without class there would be no need for religion.
          • EXAMPLES  FOR THE MARXIST VIEW ON RELIGION
            • SLAVERY -  Slave masters saw religion as a way of controlling the slaves. Prevented rebellion by giving the masters control over the slaves beliefs.
              • HINDU CASTE SYSTEM - People were divided into five castes based upon their degree of religious purity. The system ensure the ruling class maintained power by justifying to subject class.
                • THE NEW CHRISTIAN RIGHT - They justify free-market capitalism which supports ruling class in religious terms. Legitimating ruling-class power.
      • CRITICISMS
        • SECULARISATION
        • FEMINIST CRITICISMS
        • DOESN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT STATUS QUO E.G. LIBERATION THEOLOGY
        • IGNORES POSITIVE BENEFITS - STABILITY FOR SOCIETY..FUNCTIONALIST CRITICISM
  • Humans invent an alien being God which they believe to be all powerful and have control over them....They then give up their own true humanity and free will.
  • EVANGELIC CHRISTIANITY - Beliefs provide religious discipline and hope of salvation in the afterlife to the poorer societies. Encouraging support for US Style capitalist values.
  • NARROW FOCUS
    • CRITICISMS
      • SECULARISATION
      • FEMINIST CRITICISMS
      • DOESN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT STATUS QUO E.G. LIBERATION THEOLOGY
      • IGNORES POSITIVE BENEFITS - STABILITY FOR SOCIETY..FUNCTIONALIST CRITICISM
  • This eventually led to the overthrow of the communist system and it's replacement by a Western democratic regime
    • In Poland 1990- the ruling communist party was opposed by free trade unions by the Roman Catholic Church

Comments

Kayleigh

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can't see one of the examples as its been overlapped ;O good mind map though

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