Aidonian's blog

I’m a polytheist who is also Marxist. That alone seem to enough for some, especially anticommunists to attack me on it. They tell me that i can’t exist because religion and marxism is a contradiction to them. Polytheistic religions were class based and had a kind of hierarchy. They say that marxism and religion can not mix because they are opposites of eachother, that the one denies transcendental experiences. While the USSR did outlaw religions, it shouldn’t mean that marxism and religion can not mix. Marx considered religion to be the opium of the masses. In a way, he is not wrong. In the time when he lived, religion was used to control and suppress the people. The church mixed with the state to form a symbiotic relationship that still exists in one form or another. Its a unhealthy relationship to say the least and only benefit a select few. How can the Catholic church preach fighting poverty while they are rich themselves? Its one of the biggest institutions in the world that also has its shares of scandals: pedophile clergy, among one of them. Its a kind of a false statement that Marx was against religion. He was against the church, but not against spirituality or religion in general. Just organized religion like the Church.

Was Marx wrong in his assestment?

Actually no, not really. In his time the church alligned itself with the goverment and the rich to surpress the people. They told them to accept their fates, so they wouldn’t rise up and revolt. There is a religious class that exists seperatly from the workers and the bourgeois: priests, nuns, etc…. They were dependent of donations for their livelyhood. So it was in their interests that the rich stayed rich. Martin Luther protested the corruption among other things within the Catholic church and a schism was created. The church controlled the people through fear. Priests had a lot of sway in the daily lives. They were spiritual advisors, but acted against the interests of the workers when they complained about their working conditions and they told them to accept them. That children had to go to work from age 6 and risk getting killed, was something they had to accept. Where during Roman times, bread and games were used to calm the populace, now it was religion. So, Marx was not wrong. Marx rightly so criticized the role of the church in downplaying the misery of the people. Religion was abused here to put people in their place and accept their misery as their fate that was handed to them by god. This is wrong on so many levels. When Marx was alive, there were only three major religions: Christianity, Judaims & Islam. Polytheistic religions was something that he most likely only existed in India or Japan, but not in the west. So with the revival of polytheistic religions, comes a new kind of religion that isn’t as organised anymore as it once was.

In life, there are at least two certainties: you were born and at some point you will also die. Its a fact of life. Its our destiny. Its not something that we can’t change. We are mortal. Our bodies grow old and will eventually die. When and how is not known. Anything between those two is up to us how to fill it up and use our time. So telling people that they have to accept their “fate” that they can only rest, eat and work until they die, is not a good fate or way to live your life. Any religion who preaches this, needs to check itself.

Life is more than just work, eat, and sleep. Religion play a role to lift our spirits and develop ourselves. Not just religion, but also philosophy can do that. There are so many wonders in this world to behold. Many people will not see them. If they chose to do so, its their choice to make. But if that choice is taken away from them, than there is no freedom. Without freedom to make the choice how to live your own life according to what you need, whats the point of it?

For me, religion plays a large part in my life. polytheism has helped me shape who I am, my morals, my sense of justice, my sense of awe of nature and respect for it. When communing with the divine, I feel better, empowering. I dedicate time and energy to the divine and the relationship is reciprocal in nature. What is the point of being devout if you can’t offer anything to the divine? That is the point of it all. At least for me it is. If all you can do is eat, sleep, and work, how can you dedicate yourself to something? That is the beauty of polytheism that you can dedicate your writing, art, athletic skills, workouts to the divine. While it is not limited to just that, but also other stuff like fighting social injustice, inequality, etc…. While its true that this was not the case back in antiquity, its something we can do now. People find meaning in devoting their lives to the divine. So long if they are given the choice to do so. Still, its need to be said: religion is not for everyone. People who aren’t religious are free to be themselves. Everyone should be free to express themselves regardless if they are religious or not.

I get Marx’s remarks and he is not wrong. organised religion can be opium for the masses when controled by the bourgeois. That is wy there is a need for seperation of state and religion. Religion should be something private, not publicly. If politics and religion mix, its usually a bad thing. Especially for the people. Religion is always a bad idea to base your laws upon. We have seen enough examples of that throughout the centuries.

Religion should be for the people and guide people, not work against them. Its for that I’m for seperating church and state and no religion should stand above others in public domain. As we can see transpiring in the USA, its a good example of what happens if a democracy is being infiltrated by religion and religion is used by politicians seeking power. Because of that, the story of The Handmaide Tales is not far off for the USA.