The Agnostic Pentecostal

Read the context in which an oft-cited quote is set:

Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions.

– Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right

Opiate Use #1:

When I saw news clips of earthquake-wracked Haitians worshiping in the streets, I was touched by a glimpse of the good that religion can do for the collective soul of humanity. Yes, I agree with Marx that it is indeed in at least one sense the “opium of the people,” and I really don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying that. We often have  used this quote from Marx in a purely negative sense. That’s why I’ve posted the full quote above. (For more context, check out this article.) In light of his context, and considering a rudimentary knowledge of counseling principles (even Christian counseling), it really does make sense, and it’s not really as big of a slam against religion as people think.

I’m usually the first to criticize religion for being that opiate that just dumbs people down, serves as a catch-all for the pains of life, and prevents people from progressing emotionally because it helps them refuse to accept the reality of their situation. It’s something used to escape the obligation of living in reality. At least I see this a lot in the word-of-faith tradition that I come from.

But I have to catch myself from being too cynical about it, and situations of mass suffering certainly cause me to check my cynicism at the door. Of course, mass suffering continues daily throughout the world and I too often forget that, but when scenes like those from Haiti (either pre- or post earthquake) make their way into our cloistered American consciousness, it reminds me that sometimes we really hit rock bottom in life. (BTW, you really should check out this article from America’s Finest News Source.) Sometimes we have absolutely nothing to lean on. Zero distractions from unbearable pain. No one or nothing to turn to for help, and it’s impossible to run away, figuratively or literally.

These are the times when the best in the heart of religion comes out. When suffering people only have two choices: Gather together and help each other or die. That’s when some choose to gather and sing the few songs they have in common, the songs that have been faithfully passed down from those determined saints that I sometimes arrogantly call narrow-minded. And usually those songs have something to do with a power that is beyond this world. Beyond the pain. But I think it’s not really religion itself that’s serving as the opiate here. It’s the soothing balm of holy energy, purity, righteousness, whatever you want to call it, and it’s far bigger than any religion. But still I can see why it’s easier for Marx and others to just call it religion.

But anyway, if this sort of power that gives people a reason to gather is called an opiate, I’m okay with that. It truly is giving them a sense of relief from suffering, a determination to survive, a purpose that helps them rise from the rubble…and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. These people have subjected themselves to the power of the opiate of spirituality, I think, for one of its intended purposes. To bring people together to help each other and find relief from pain. It’s truly a beautiful thing that makes my soul leap and say, “That’s truth! God is in that!” And that’s a good use of a drug.

Now contrast that with this…

Opiate Use #2

(The first minute or so gives you the idea…)

Keep in mind that these are not at all isolated incidents or rare happenings of some backwoods group. These guys are real ministers who call themselves “new mystics;” they are authors, with a significant budget who travel the world sharing their message of “drunken glory,” toking baby Jesus, snorting Bible lines, injecting the blood of Christ, dropping Jesus tabs, trancing out in the glory of God, etc. They also pride themselves in doing “buzz evangelism,” in which they offer a “free buzz” to people and try to share God’s power with others on the street. I’ll probably write more about this later on, because I do have some past experience with this sort of thing.

But for now let’s put aside any and all theological arguments and even assume that these are really sincere good guys trying to do good. (BTW: You really should check out their “Pee Pee Miracle” with a suffering Indonesian man). Anyway, they do seem to be good guys, but I still have to make one simple observation: To me, all this is merely taking the idea of “the opiate of the masses” to another level… But still, in my view, if God wants to somehow touch me by letting me see some amazing acts of spiritual power, I think he knows that I am much more touched by seeing suffering Haitians coming together to sing songs than by seeing some hip ministers getting whacked out in the name of God. In my opinion, this does not seem to be the intended use for the opiate of the masses.

To me, it’s like the difference between being administered a drug by a caring hand versus being sold a drug that’s been manufactured in a barn, mixed in with additives and distributed on the streets by people just trying to build their business. People end up with a nasty hangover when they wake up to reality. Or even like a bad acid trip. They say never trip alone; a good opiate is meant to be taken in community…and from personal experience, I can attest to that. Don’t just take something cause it’s given to you free, and especially don’t do it alone. Things can get all messed up really quick. Next thing you know you’re looking in the mirror and snakes start writhing out of your eyes. But I digress

Anyway, that’s just me, and I just know what seems right to me. What do you think? How do you use your religion? Do you see it as an opiate in any meaning of the word? Is that a bad thing?