Religion as the Opium of the Masses: A Study of the Contemporary Relevance of Karl Marx
Dare Ojo Omonijo *
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria
Onyekwere Oliver Chizaram Uche
Department of Religion and Human Relations, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
Obiajulu Anthony Ugochukwu Nnedum
Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
Bernard Chukwukeluo Chine
Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This article used data from descriptive background to examine the view of Karl Marx on Christian religion in Nigeria today. It examined both the negative and the positive impact of Karl Marx’s view on religion in academia. The study also examined the reality of his view on Christianity the present day Nigeria. The study concluded that Christianity of the time of Karl Marx has lost its fervour and could no longer be termed the opium of the masses at least in contemporary Nigeria and therefore suggests a shift from being religious to being 'born again' in order to experience effective and efficient transformation.
Keywords: Religion, opium, masses, contemporary, Karl Marx