Any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a dry-as-dust religion. Such a religion is the kind the Marxists like to see - an opiate of the people.

To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.

The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness.

The imaginary flowers of religion adorn man's chains. Man must throw off the flowers, and also the chains.

Religion is only the illusory sun which revolves round man as long as he does not revolve round himself.

We are essentially a religious people. We are not merely religious, we are inclined, more today than ever, to see the value of religion as a practical force in our affairs.