I think you’re half way to a perspective not reliant on 2010s Reddit atheist cliches (and the implicit western chauvinism within). We agree that religion absolutely is an instrument of class domination and always has a class character. During the Russian Revolution the church was persecuted by the bolsheviks because it was an instrument of Tsarist autocracy that ordained the oppression of the serfs, peasants, and workers. But how about liberation theology in Latin America? The exact counterpoint. We should talk about institutions rather than religions, because is Islam intrinsically this?
No, it’s something the US, Saudi, gulf regimes and Zionist entity promoted as a bulwark against Arab nationalism and Arab socialism. Religion remains a key social force in most of the world, and this intrinsic inarguable position that ignores the social forces at play won’t due.
It’s a good point and all but honestly, if you make two columns with good things religion has caused in one and bad things religion has caused in the other, the good basically amounts to a drop in the bucket.
It’s like saying capitalism is a force for good because some countries have universal healthcare.
Capitalism isn’t “good”, in big fingerquotes because applying morality to ideology misses the point, but wage-slavery is “better” than serfdom, just as serfdom is “better” than chattel slavery. They are steps.
But more to your point, do you think if everyone suddenly decided to be atheist tomorrow, in 20, 50, 100 years we’d have less violence, hatred and war? I think there are plenty of effective ways of control already in effect. Western powers would hate Muslims even if they weren’t Muslim. It’s not the Talmud that makes Israel commit genocide.
I say this as I have a front row seat to Christofascists eroding every little progress we’ve made. So believe me when I say I have very little spare sympathy right now, but if first hand experience thought me anything is that the real culprits don’t give a shit about religion
I think you’re half way to a perspective not reliant on 2010s Reddit atheist cliches (and the implicit western chauvinism within). We agree that religion absolutely is an instrument of class domination and always has a class character. During the Russian Revolution the church was persecuted by the bolsheviks because it was an instrument of Tsarist autocracy that ordained the oppression of the serfs, peasants, and workers. But how about liberation theology in Latin America? The exact counterpoint. We should talk about institutions rather than religions, because is Islam intrinsically this?
No, it’s something the US, Saudi, gulf regimes and Zionist entity promoted as a bulwark against Arab nationalism and Arab socialism. Religion remains a key social force in most of the world, and this intrinsic inarguable position that ignores the social forces at play won’t due.
It’s a good point and all but honestly, if you make two columns with good things religion has caused in one and bad things religion has caused in the other, the good basically amounts to a drop in the bucket.
It’s like saying capitalism is a force for good because some countries have universal healthcare.
Capitalism isn’t “good”, in big fingerquotes because applying morality to ideology misses the point, but wage-slavery is “better” than serfdom, just as serfdom is “better” than chattel slavery. They are steps.
But more to your point, do you think if everyone suddenly decided to be atheist tomorrow, in 20, 50, 100 years we’d have less violence, hatred and war? I think there are plenty of effective ways of control already in effect. Western powers would hate Muslims even if they weren’t Muslim. It’s not the Talmud that makes Israel commit genocide.
I say this as I have a front row seat to Christofascists eroding every little progress we’ve made. So believe me when I say I have very little spare sympathy right now, but if first hand experience thought me anything is that the real culprits don’t give a shit about religion