Karl Marx

[MentalSanityOff]

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people"
-Karl Marx

(Realize that the original quote was in Russian, and is most often translated as 'opiate of the masses')
I've done searches for this, and found nothing, so excuse me if I overlooked some thread that already discusses this.

I think the quote says it all. Religion drugs the masses into not thinking for themselves, and in my opinion, this whole quote and idea is the basis for the song, and on a larger scale, the CD.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm

[Perseensilmä]

Hey, thanks man! AWESOME!

[Seoman]

I agree.

If one keeps that thought of "opiate for the masses" and religion as an instrument to fool people and lead them to a certain behavior in mind while listening to the "Opiate - EP" it's really quite easy to find a sense and gist through almost all the lyrics. Not to forget this ugly praying being on the cover, which seems to contribute to this idea of interpretation. The lyrics of the song "Opiate" really state this kinda view quite directly (just read it through - it's almost too obivious).

The only song that could lead to a bit of confusion if one would like to match the entire EP to this "puchline" might be "sweat". There are attempts on giving it a meaning under that same angle we disuss here but they still stay fungous.
I don't like the thought - but apparently many people think this way - that much of it refers to the effect of taking drugs ... but since there are statements from Maynard and the obvious drug-refering hidden track "the gaping lotus experience" one might keep that in consideration, too.

For me Tool are playin music on the brink to perfection so I don't like to be drugs in there. They are much too unnatural. So I'm glad to be brought to interpretations like the one we have hear ;)

[Mr_SkoT_A]

New to the sight and blown away by SOME comments. Ive studied religion(s) and history, not on a professional level, but a personal one, and gotten many different views. I may be the only one here, but i am a christian and christianity, and true Christianity does not limit one to not thinking for his/herself. It is all about love and doing for the good of man. I am not going to say what i think Opiate is about b/c i wouldnt want others to put words in my mouth. BUT... Marx and all the philosophers of the world, when refering to religion, are placing Christianity to the Catholic Religion.. NOT THE SAME THING. Study True Christianity for yourself, you'd be surprised, dont be a sheep to those that speak for you b/c you are too lazy to read for yourself. I have been under and over, and over is so much better. Tool taught me to question life and myself, i have a stronger faith for life now for it. Go Maynard.

[marcus]

This is possibly the most misunderstood quote of all time.

Opiates were not seen as a negative thing when it was said.

[morethanmusic]

Religion has and will always be used as a means of creating a distorted reality for people- as a means of creating complacency among those who shouldn't in any universe be complacent, or even relatively positive about their position in the world. Religion allows for those in power, to stay in power. All great religions of the world are the defenders of the status quo, only breaking that mold when the Institution of the religion, whichever it may be, find itself severely suppressed. And even then only after the high-ups are bothered will a religious regime reach out to people, ignoring the peasantry which undoubtedly make up its core base. Religion allows those to kill, in direct conflict with its own holy scripture, which in return is in direct conflict with itself. Religion takes people in a shitty situation and tells them its okay to be in a shitty situation- God says so. Fuck it. If God says so.

Perhaps it is you marcus, who is misinterpreting.