Religion: reassurance for life in a repulsive world Imagine a reality where pain is avoidable; an oasis protected from suffering and intolerance. Behold an eternal being, whose very power grants eternal life, love and happiness to those who deserve it. Too good to be true? This may be so, but throughout the ages of history, people, poor and rich, have clung to such beliefs in a better life elsewhere, tormented by a physical world distorted by natural disasters, illness and inevitably death. Seeking comfort and mercy in an unforgiving world, many have looked to religion for answers. From the Navajo religion in America to Christianity in Europe to Hinduism in the Orient, religion was born to function as a symbol of hope capable of responding and helping to confront the injustices of the world, and persists as a respite from the suffering and pain of the world. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get Original Essay In order to survive in a material and heartless world, people desire to obtain the intangible in order to survive. Father of psychoanalytic theory, Sigmund Freud argued that what people really seek is unconditional love and acceptance, as well as a way to cope with death. Freud theorized that people's minds had three distinct regions: the id, the ego, and the superego. The id was the most primitive part of a person's unconscious, which desired to satisfy the basic needs of sex and hunger. The Superego was the most advanced part, seeking morality and righteousness rather than physical needs. To balance the wants and needs of an individual, the ego acted as a middle ground, which attempted to satisfy the needs of both the id and the superego. Based on this theory, religion was born to form a person's ego, limiting oneself from animality while seeking virtue. For example, in Christianity, the holy sacraments, such as baptism and confirmation, provide a sense of acceptance and love from God by granting them "grace", and offer condolences to death through the anointing of the sick, which prepares them for heaven if they make it. were to die of illness. In turn, Christianity also guides the ego with the idea of ​​right and wrong in the eyes of God called conscience; and makes followers responsible for their errors through the sacrament of Reconciliation by admitting their “sins”. Thus, Freud shows that religion is a two-part system, which restricts people to primitive drives, while promising unconditional love and acceptance of death. In the eyes of Karl Marx, father of communism, religion plays a more sinister role in the overall scheme of life. human civilization. The idea of ​​private property created divisions among people, dividing the masses into economic classes based on material wealth. With the introduction of industrial capitalism, there was a definition between the powerful and the powerless, and while the rich controlled the government, the common man was only as good as his salary. The economy from which these classes were formed is what Marx established as the sole basis upon which structures such as government, religion, the arts, etc. could be built. With growing tensions between rich and poor, religion plays a role in suggesting contentment and acceptance, thus providing justification for the way things are. For example, economic classes andHindu religions were separated into four castes: “The Brahmins were at the top, representing the intellectual leaders of philosophy and teaching. Next come the Kshatriyas, which involve the army and the government. Next come the Vaisyas, the merchants and skilled artisans. The last and least influential were the Shudras, the subordinate workers. People were transferred from one class to another because of their karma or morality. According to Marx, rather than rebelling for equality and privilege, the institution of Hinduism made people content with their current classes, blaming themselves for their own misfortune rather than blaming the social structure. . In the face of suffering due to inequality, Hinduism offers the possibility of progress in the karma-based caste system called reincarnation. Thus, Marx would argue that classes could not be questioned if people could climb the ranks of the system through good morality. However, he would view Hinduism as an illusion, forcing people to accept things as they are. Religion can only exist as an established superstructure when there is a basis. Only when there is inner tension due to class conflict do people turn to religion for satisfaction. When it comes to appealing to religion for a feeling of love and acceptance, many would accept Freud's theory of religion. It helps assess the existence of certain practices among different religions, the observance of mass in Christianity or the worship of puja in Hinduism as a means of bringing together people sharing the same beliefs in a feeling of acceptance . The concepts of the id, ego and superego help to explain the existence of consciousness and are reflected in the Jewish Ten Commandments or in the surahs of the Muslim Quran to guide or restrict it. However, Freud's theory does not take into account the indigenous religion of the Navajo, which does not appeal to love or death. Freud's theory does not explain the need for Navajo sand painting, nor the existence of the holy people the Navajo consider them to be. To the Navajo, holy people act among the people, not as eternal beings or gods who can grant heaven or mercy. They act in harmony with nature and must be soothed in the event of an imbalance. Navajo sand painting is a ritual aimed at bringing harmony to nature, a concept foreign to Freudian theory. Thus, Freudian theory supports the thesis, but cannot explain the Navajo religion. In the face of constant tensions due to the infliction of poverty and the subjugation of the masses to those with more wealth, Karl Marx's theory of religion would seem appropriate. Due to the lack of wealth equality among people, those who are wealthier can assert more power and strength while those who have less or none at all suffer from hunger and despair. Faced with such suffering, people turn to religion. Rather than promising greater wealth and material goods, the ideals of Christianity promise that those who abandon their desire for wealth in favor of morality will achieve eternal happiness and life with God. The caste system and karma within Hinduism help people cope and accept their social status, with the promise of moving up the ranks of the system if it is proven morally true. In this sense, religion exists as a superstructure built on the economic disparities that constitute the foundation. However, Marx's religion cannot explain the reason for religion in the lack of capitalism or in the.