Editing SG33SHS-T (section)

=== 4. Characteristics of Religion as Explained by Social Science ===

Traditionally, the distinctive feature of religious forms can be summarized by the phrase Engels employs in his ''Essay on Feuerbach'': “If religion can exist without its God, then alchemy can exist without its philosopher’s stone.”<ref>Originally published in ''Die Neue Zeit'' 4, 5 (1886). For this English translation, see “Friedrich Engels: Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of German Classical Philosophy,” Marxist Internet Archive, accessed August 28, 2024, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1886/ludwig-feuerbach/ch03.htm. Whereas Engels used this phrase to criticize the attempt by Ludwig Feuerbach (1807–1872) to salvage a “religion” without God, Seno’o appears to be employing it to suggest that ''even'' religions without “official” gods, such as Buddhism, fall for the same “delusions” as theistic ones.</ref> Religion referred to the belief in a transcendent, absolute deity whom people worshiped and prayed to in order to seek grace and salvation. While the Christian God serves as a typical example, even the diverse Buddhist traditions, although they do not emphasize the creation of the world, still possess a similar concept of a transcendent, superhuman absolute. Amida Buddha in Shin Buddhism, the Eternal Buddha<ref>''Kuon jitsujō no honbutsu'' 久遠実成の本仏 (lit. the “True Buddha of Eternal Realization”) is a concept found in the''Lotus Sutra''that suggests that rather than attaining enlightenment at the age of thirty, Śākyamuni Buddha had already attained buddhahood in the distant past. See, for example, ch. 16: “The Life Span of the Tathāgata” (T no. 262, 9: 774c–776c). However, out of compassion he chose to manifest in human form via many rebirths before finally being born as Śākyamuni Buddha and attaining enlightenment.</ref> in Nichiren Buddhism, and Dainichi Nyorai<ref>Skt. Mahāvairocana, also known as the Great Sun, or Cosmic, Buddha.</ref> in Shingon Buddhism, among others, all fall into this category. In Zen Buddhism, the original teachings do not inherently involve such an absolute being, but in practice, various deities like Yakushi Nyorai 薬師如来<ref>Skt. Bhaisajyaguru, also known as the Medicine Buddha.</ref> and Kannon 観音 Bodhisattva are worshiped indiscriminately. However, one may question whether these transcendent deities truly exist, and furthermore, whether Buddhism originally took such form? The answer [to both of these questions] is, of course, “No”!

Marxism is an ideology that vividly denies the existence of such [transcendent] beings. According to Marxism, all religions are nothing more than “fantastic reflections in the minds of humans of external forces dominating their daily lives” (Engels).<ref>“''Anti-Dühring'' by Frederick Engels 1877; Part III: Socialism; V. State, Family, Education,” Marxist Internet Archive, accessed August 28, 2024, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1877/anti-duhring/ch27.htm.</ref> In other words, as Marx put it, “Man created religion, religion did not create man.”<ref>Karl Marx, from the introduction to ''A Contribution to Hegel’s “Philosophy of Right”'' (1844); Marxist Internet Archive, accessed September 24, 2024, https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm.</ref>

[Marxism] thus takes as its object the modes of early human existence that gave rise to religion and explains these from two perspectives.