Nietzsche attacked Christianity (Nietzsche, 178). To understand his resentment towards Christianity, it is necessary to know what Nietzsche valued as opposed to what Christianity teaches people to value. Nietzsche valued the advancement of human culture (Becker, class lecture). Nietzsche believed greatness came not out of Christian

Karl Marx saw religion as a symptom of the world he lived in (Solomon, 176). Marx valued human fulfillment through creativity (Becker, class lecture). This creativity is not realized in a capitalist society. Marx’s basic stance is that everything is always about economics. This stance lies behind his statements about religion. Marx’s argument against religion has nothing to do with the actual practices of religion. Marx believes the problem of religion is not in the practice but in the purpose it serves and the people who want to keep the masses addicted to it (Marx, 176). Religion’s only purpose is to sedate society so that society cannot see the reality of their world due to the capitalist culture they live in (Marx, 176). Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the people” (Becker, class lecture). The problem with religion can be seen through examination of this statement. Just as an opiate drug cannot cure a physical injury, it is administered to help ease the pain of the injury, religion eases people’s pain and suffering they have to endure because of capitalism. Religion helps them forget why they are suffering in the first place(Solomon, 176). Capitalist who get rich on the backs of the labor of the masses, of course want society to rely on religion. It tells the poor, overworked majority to accept their hard labor and lifetime of suffering and look forward to their rewards and enjoyment in their afterlife (Becker, class lecture).

Sigmund Freud’s explanation for the human belief in the existence of a God is the most detrimental attack against theists’ beliefs because it leaves us with nothing to believe in other than ourselves. Freud believes we develop religion as a defense mechanism in

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