Marxism and religion

19th-century German philosopher Karl Marx, the founder and primary theorist of Marxism, viewed religion as "the soul of soulless conditions" or the "opium of the people". He believed religion survives because of oppressive social conditions. When this oppressive and exploitative condition is destroyed, religion will become unnecessary, according to Marx. At the same time, he saw religion as a form of working-class protest against poor economic conditions and alienation. Denys Turner, a scholar of Marx and historical theology, classified Marx's views as adhering to post-theism, a philosophical position that regards worshiping deities as an eventually obsolete, but temporarily necessary, stage in humanity's historical spiritual development.

In his interpretation and synthesis of Marx, Vladimir Lenin theorized state-sanctioned religion as an ideological apparatus of the bourgeoisie, and its places of worship as institutions providing justification for ruling ideas to the working class, while retaining Marx's view of religion's dual role as proletarian protest and solace. A number of Marxist-Leninist governments in the 20th century, such as the Soviet Union after Vladimir Lenin and the People's Republic of China headed by Mao Zedong, implemented state atheism to allow the "opium" to be decentralized in secular civics, in line with post-theism.

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