Both.

Both. Religion both incites unsavory things and is used as a fulcrum for such incitements by other groups, such as the ruling class.

Religion is just like slavery but we gotta have the fear of GOD

Yes

It has been and it will be until their influence will wear out.....the writing is on the wall

I see it as both and my reasoning in part follows.

Its easy to see how mamy people use religion to control people. Here in the U.S. there are many historical examples, most of them on the bastardization or abuse of religious principles. Around the globe there are plenty more examples, of which are the attempted extermination of hole religious cultures.

Religion is an opium on multiple fronts. In religion one is constantly told that this being Loves us, made us, etc and so we're conditioned to believing it and we feel good cause we want to be loved, right? So like any drug we become addicted to it, we look for it, we find ways to get more of it, and we want others to share our enjoyment as well, so they pressure others into joining up with the same Love sales pitch and this can lead back to the control over others as well.

I think you can be a believer in Christianity and still be intelligent. It is those who believe but no longer or maybe ever, bought into critical thinking. I believe that politicians play into the fundamentalists viewpoints. Also there are some non believers who have very odd political beliefs. It is a very mixed bag

Again a quote out of context. Marx is referring to the malaise and false hope that religion can bring, written in around 1843. Religion is the subject at this time because of its ability to focus the individual away from the troubles of society. This not a criticism of religion per se, but of the myopic nature of the human mind to not face the reality of social dissonance. If we are to correctly take this quote in context for our current era, the term 'religion' would be replaced by celebrity culture, television, Facebook and so on.

I would say 50/50. People that can't or don't want understand the larger reality or don't want challenge the belief system they were programmed with as a child cling it and are satiated by it. People in power see that fault and exploit it as much as the masses let them get away with. Which is why i find it hross negligance for those that are awake stand idlely by.

It has become both. Politicians, ever the opportunists, have harnessed religion to right wing ideology. It was Karl Marx who coined the expression....”Religion is the opiate of the masses” It is doubly addictive when combined with politics. It keeps people firmly controlled, their minds unable to think properly. In order to break this hold over the electorate, we must do all we can to oppose politicians who put their religion above their duty to serve us, the people.

Both, just as Seneca said. It's hard to control a questioning, critical thinking society.

Yes!

Both at once.

An analogy would be a pimp using heroin to keep an employee sedate and reliant upon them for supply as well as income and security.

Of course it is. Was there ever a doubt?

Yes.

Both.