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i'm sorry, but i'll have to call into question whatever you call "learning and trying to understand"

your argument relies on moral outrage and abstract ethics rather than material analysis. marx’s critique of religion is often misused by superficial atheists. when he called religion "the opium of the people", he was not simply condemning faith, but identifying it as a response to suffering in a world devoid of meaning and justice. religion, in this sense, is both a symptom of oppression and a coping mechanism for those experiencing it. misunderstand this reality and you end up with ethical idealism, ultimately undermining revolutionary efforts by alienating the masses.

from a materialist standpoint, religion persists because it fulfills real social and emotional needs under capitalism, just as it did under previous socio-economic systems. the task of revolutionaries is not to mock or suppress these beliefs, but to transform the conditions that give rise to them.

and if you would try to even once get out and actually look at the historical precedence of socialist projects, you would learn a lot:

in its early years, the ussr launched aggressive anti-religious campaigns, shuttering churches (and destroying century-old architectural monuments in the process), ridiculing faith, and persecuting religious leaders. these efforts, spearheaded by organizations like the league of the militant godless (sry for wikipecia-link, but i can't really find good english-language sources rn), were driven by ideological zeal rather than mass-line engagement. they confused state atheism with revolutionary strategy and alienated millions of religious workers and peasants whose faith was deeply embedded in their communities and daily lives.

rather than focusing drawing believers into the socialist project through improvements in their material conditions and political education, the early state attempted to impose atheism from above. this approach was idealist, disconnected from the real consciousness of the masses, and politically self-defeating.

they thus unwillingly played into the hands of the reaction, since religious believers, especially in rural areas, came to view the new socialist state as an enemy of tradition, community, and morality. reactionary forces capitalized on this resentment, painting themselves as defenders of the common people.

recognizing this, the government later went on to ease anti-religious policies during the great patriotic war, in order to build unity, effectively admitting that earlier methods had been divisive and counter-productive.

leftists should understand that atheism, like any belief system, must be approached strategically. the goal is not to impose a worldview, but to unite the working class in the struggle against capitalism. religious people are not the enemy, capitalism is. mockery and cultural arrogance only serve to fracture potential alliances.

instead, one must engage religious workers respectfully, meet their material needs, and build class consciousness through shared struggle. religion will fade not through coercion, but as alienation and exploitation are overcome.