[Joona]

I should note at first that I'm not really a communist, but some kind of an authoritarian socialist.

Since there are so many communists on this forum however, I was interested about their opinions concerning the role of religion in a socialist/communist society.

[Abood]

Where is the 'Other' option?

In a communist movement/society, religion is irrelevant.

[Kasu]

Religion is only useful in capitalism, and like the state, it too would whither away.

[Joona]

Religion is only useful in capitalism, and like the state, it too would whither away.

Do you mean that the people wouldn't have religious beliefs anymore? Because I find this hard to believe. Or does this statement have some kind of abstract meaning I'm not getting?

I'm guessing it's the latter, but I'll let you give an answer.

[FallenRaptor]

Other: The majority of the working class is religious, so trying to abolish religion immediately would alienate them and make the movement a failure. Religion is something that should be dealt with gradually by promoting education on science & the nature of religious organizations and eliminating most of the material roots of religion. Any overly coercive methods probably won't work.

[jaakko]

Lenin already summed up the correct approach: Religion in the communist movement should be a private matter. A religious person can be a member of the communist party as long as he doesn't attempt to be a priest in it.

[Kasu]

In communist society, because people will focus on the matter at hand, and not hoping for a better life and settling for what they have..

Religion plays the role in Capitalism to give remedy to the masses, so they place their love in "God" above their woes for the current social conditions. To be "thankful" for what they have, and not try and make things better.

[jaakko]

I only just noticed that the poll asks a different question than what the title asks. The communist movement and the communist society are not one and the same. There have always been religious people in the communist movement, but religious structures will disappear from society by the time of communism. Religion will cease to be a political institution during socialism already.

[sazerac]

Let's see, countries that don't have religion fail and the most successful country is religious.

I pick A.

[Red Rebel]

Religion is a personal choice. It is between a person and god (or whatever).

[Donna]

I always thought the goal of Marxism was to remove the role religious elites play in bourgeois society, not actually remove/eradicate a tradition of thought that has been around for thousands of years.

[W01f]

Let's see, countries that don't have religion fail and the most successful country is religious.

Say what? China doesn't have religion "officially", and they aren't exactly failing. Japan is mostly atheist as well. The trend seems to be that the more hardcore religious a country is, the less prosperous it is, with a few exceptions such as America (though how prosperous would the South be on its own?)

I voted religion should be allowed. I don't believe in suppressing personal beliefs in any type of societal structure. People can believe whatever nutty religion they want, so long as it doesn't interfere with other peoples lives.

[Quercus Robur]

ideally allowed, but in practice banned and replaced with ideology.

[Noelnada]

Religions should of course be allowed as a private matter, but the society itself should be built around the universal religious values, such as humility, compassion, devoutness, altruism, responsibility.

[ingliz]

Other - Religion should be neither encouraged nor should it be banned; It should be ignored as long as the party member doesn't attempt to proselytize fellow communists. Organised religion, padres, priests etc conducting religious services for party cadres, has no place in the communist movement.

[Lightman]

Other: communism should not exist.

[Nets]

The role of religion in communist movement?

Very important. Das Kapital is its bible and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are its prophets.

The USSR tore down Eastern Orthodoxy and put up "Marxism" in its place.

Marxist "scholars" in the USSR debating for all eternity what Marx "really meant" is no different that theologians endlessly arguing over a biblical phrase.

Working the current miserable "five year plan" (or whatever they choose to call it) with the hopes of a better future which is constantly postponed, is no different that the Christian afterlife.