Social ideology is a very important factor in social stability and change because it influences how the collective group responds to different social, political and economic situations. Religion is one of the principle social ideologies that impacts social stability and change, it is both a motivating force for order as well as a destabilizing force for revolution, and has been used for both throughout history. Three sociologists and philosophers have principally discussed their views on religion and its impact on society, Marx, Durkheim and Weber. The following analysis will compare and contrast their views on the impact of religion upon society.
             Karl Marx, one of the most influential thinkers of our modern era emphasized that religion is"opium of the people". His basic attitude towards religion is caste in a wholly negative light. He believes that religion is used as a social ideology to stabilize and enslave the working class. That our tendency towards religious fervor is representatives of a response to alienation. Religion, because it makes us feel a false sense of happiness creates an illusion in and of itself. Therefore it is a tool used to uphold ideologies and cultural systems which foster oppressive capitalism. Marx argues that religion arises out of the dehumanizing mechanisms of capitalistic society. That individuals are told to compromise themselves in order to serve the greater good of the capitalist machine and that each worker is a replaceable tool. They are alienated to the point of severe unhappiness and depression. As a result, religion gives individuals a sense of worth and identity and through this process they grow and begin to foster greater understanding and self worth. As a result, religion is believed by Marx to be much more of a chain and vehicle of enslavement. It is used to enforce social stability in situations where rebellion may be the better option. His views on religion are ...