마르크스주의와 종교

Abstract

Before the development of science all ideas were expressed through the prism of religion. Thus, Puritanism was initially the religion of the radical middle class in the English Revolution in the mid 17th century, but later was transformed into the dominant ideology of the American ruling class. Primitive human beings invented gods with human-like attributes because they did not yet have the means to understand the forces of nature that raged around them. The religious ideas that explained human life and its relation to the universe became transformed, with the rise of class society, into the official ideology of the rulers, who were regarded as gods them- selves or gods’ representatives on earth. With the development of science, secular humanist ideas dethroned religion as the explanation for the workings of the universe and the justification for rule by the few. Religious ideas, however, continue to thrive as a way of coming to terms with alienation and misery. That is why Karl Marx called religion the ‘sigh of the oppressed.’ The idea that some force outside of nature and human activity determines what takes place is a product of alienation. The reason why our destiny appears to be beyond our own control is that we control neither the means nor the products of our own labour. Therefore, when the oppressed become conscious of their collective power to transform society and thereby start to overcome their own sense of powerlessness, they will have less need for the soothing balm of religion. Frederick Engels wrote, ‘Nothing exists outside nature and man, and the higher beings our religious fantasies have created are only the fantastic reflections of our own essence.’ But the ‘essence’ of human beings, as Marx argued, is ‘the ensemble of social relations,’ which is not static but always changing. He also wrote, ‘Men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness, by religion or anything else you like. They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence.’ We must therefore go beneath the surface of what appear to be religious disputes to see that these conflicts express deeper class struggles. Marx wrote, ‘A distinction must be made between the material transformation of the economic conditions of production and the legal, political, religious, aesthetic or philosophic ― in short, ideological ― forms in which men become conscious of this conflict and fight it out.’ Thus, mainstream religious ideas are not about social change but reflect and reinforce the status quo. Certainly, Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan may express sympathy for the poor. But he believes that they must resign themselves to their fate and wait until the after-life for their rewards. Nevertheless, religious ideas have also been used by the oppressed to justify their struggles. For example, Jesus is quoted saying, ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. ……But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation’(Luke, 6:20, 24). These are the most radical liberation theologians’ favorite biblical verses. This article, which concerns Marx’s view of religion, tries to shed a special light on the relationship of religion to the class struggle.