Research Paper on "Karl Marx Viewed Religion as Irrational"

Research Paper 7 pages (2745 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Moreover, research has indicated that a large number of individuals support honesty by clinicians with terminal patients as well such ideas as the withholding of life-sustaining treatments in cases where they are futile (e.g., Young et al. 2011). This quandary illustrates the viewpoint of religion held by Karl Marx and the old paradigm. It is not ethical to engage in fantasy or in lie to patients regarding their situation in order to save them from distress. Thus, despite the research that suggests that the use of religious rituals such as prayer ease stress and pain in patients with terminal illnesses, these findings are a sham in that they encourage the maintenance of a lie and the continuation of the exploitation of people. Thus, not only is the use of religious rituals by terminal patients not necessary, it also represents a form of the exploitation that occurs in society between different classes. It would be much more comforting, practical, and ethical for individuals with terminal illnesses to be supplied with full disclosure regarding their condition and be treated with honesty and ethical integrity. Marx could easily counter that the use of religious rituals fosters neither.

Stark and Finke (2000) argue that the assertion by Marx that religion is harmful to society is a political claim, not a scientific one. Stark and Finke (2000) note that religion is more like than amphetamine as opposed to an opiate in that it has spurred many peasant rebellions, generated uprisings against the status quo in numerous instances, and does not merely serve as a form of compensation for disenfranchised groups but as a form of inspiration. The scientific evidence indicates that the use of religious rituals and a spiritual approach are indeed empirically validated coping mechanisms that can be used by terminally ill patients in order to ease their suffering.

We can also suppose that Starke and Finke would make no claims regarding the validity of religion or spirituality (the notion that there really is a God or that there really is some type of higher power). In fact, in order to make their case it appears that any such claims as to the validity of religious beliefs are considered irrelevant by them and it is only their positive effects on society that should be considered. Thus, Stark and Finke do not concern themselves with the validity of religion in an absolute sense, but with the evidence that religion (in this case religious rituals and spiritual rituals) are beneficial. Pevy, Jones, and Yarber (2008) discuss the relevance of these issues. In their qualitative analysis of 38 hospice patients the researchers found that their religious beliefs and religious rituals were beneficial to these individuals by comforting them. The mechanism of comfort was generally reported to be a belief in the afterlife, that the individual was moving on to a better place, and the installation of hope in individuals who were terminally ill. The overall indication here is that these terminally ill individuals were able to reconcile their situation by believing in an afterlife and a form of cosmic order that was outside of their control and brought order to things.

The issue for Marx here would again be that this is a delusion and that these religious beliefs are hypocritical. They are not necessary nor are they sufficient to ease suffering. Stark and Finke (2000) would simply reiterate that the scientific/empirical evidence indicates that the use of religious rituals and spiritual beliefs are beneficial to individuals with terminal illnesses in terms of their coping and peace of mind. Marx would argue that these beliefs are not necessary if the individual is able to accept reality. In essence, the only way to actually solve this type of debate would be for researchers to be able to somehow empirically or rationally prove the existence of an afterlife or the existence of a God. Thus, both sides can claim that their argument holds more weight over the other side because there is no rational or methodological way to disprove or prove the presence of a deity or of an afterlife. The empirical evidence supports the notion that the use of religious rituals and beliefs and spirituality do provide comfort to individuals who have terminal conditions. Marx's argument rests on the notion that the assumptions of all religions (e.g., that there is an afterlife and there is a higher power or deity controlling the universe) is a lie fostered by the ruling class in order to maintain the status quo. Thus, from Marx's viewpoint the empirical evidence has no relevance whatsoever. From the viewpoint of Stark and Finke the results of the empirical evidence are self-evident and whether or not there is a God or an afterlife has no bearing on these findings. Thus, the argument is unwinnable and it simply becomes a matter of personal preference as to which rationale to support.

References

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Iwaszcztszyn, J., Klis-Kalinowski, A., Kweiecinska, A., Lis, M. And Czekaj, J. 2013. "Ethical aspect of quality of life of pallet of care patients." Program of Health Sciences 3(1): 162 -- 65.

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"Attitudes of cancer patients, family caregivers, oncologists and members of the general public toward critical interventions at the end of life of terminally ill patients."… READ MORE

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