Religion does this in several ways: it suggests events are controlled by supernatural powers, meaning there is little the subject class can do to challenge their situation beyond prayer.
Religion supports the existing social order by suggesting monarchs have the DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE: i.e. God has chosen them; to challenge them will challenge God, which will be punished.
Religion also promises an afterlife if the subject class accept their suffering without question. All of this prevents the subject class becoming aware of their exploitation and oppression and ensures they do not challenge the authority of the ruling class.
According to Marx, the subject class need to challenge and overthrow the ruling class to create a communist society where everyone would be equal. Religion, therefore, would not be necessary in a communist society because there would not be any oppression, alienation or exploitation causing pain that needs to be dulled. However, religion did remain important in many communist societies e.g. Catholicism in Poland.
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