"Religious suffering is at once the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of the heartless world, as it is the soul of soulless condition. It is the opium of the people"

This quote, often attributed to Karl Marx, instead of John Desmond Bernal, supplies a vital perspective on the function of religious beliefs in society, specifically in contexts where suffering prevails. Marx's view, which Bernal may echo, presumes that religious beliefs serves both as an expression and a demonstration of genuine suffering, and it works as a coping mechanism for those who are oppressed.

The quote begins with the idea that "religious suffering is at when the expression of real suffering and a demonstration versus real suffering." This recommends that faiths and practices are deeply intertwined with the lived experiences of hardship. For individuals facing oppression, oppression, or deprivation, faith becomes a way of articulating their pain and an area in which they can voice their grievances. It offers a story to understand their suffering and serves as a method to symbolically contest it.

Moreover, calling religious beliefs "the sigh of the oppressed creature" highlights its function as a source of convenience. In a world viewed as uncaring, faith provides solace and a form of intend to those burdened by suffering. It is a psychological outlet that provides relief and momentary transcendence from the harshness of reality, similar to a deep sigh provides temporary release.

The phrase "the sentiment of a heartless world, as it is the soul of soulless conditions" underscores religious beliefs's function as a counterbalance to the alienation and dehumanization present in societal structures. In a world doing not have empathy or empathy, religious beliefs imbues life with significance and uses a sense of belonging and identity.

Finally, the comparison of religion to "the opium of individuals" encapsulates Marx's metaphor that faith acts as a narcotic, dulling the pains of those who suffer under oppressive conditions. It provides a convenience that alleviates the problem of truth, yet it likewise suggests that this pacification might avoid individuals from taking action to change their conditions. This dual nature of religion-- as both soothing and potentially pacifying-- forms the crux of the review, advising consideration of how religious beliefs both reflects and affects the social and financial structures within which it exists.