First, I don’t know where I have to put this kind of question on Lemmy so I’m asking it here. Marx viewed religion as a negative force, often referring to it as the ‘opiate of the masses.’ If someone is religious and also identifies as a Marxist, do you think that’s contradictory, or is it just a matter of mislabeling themselves? Would it be more accurate for them to call themselves a socialist instead of a Marxist?
You may share socialist views, but the path of Marxism is the path of materialism. Studying the works of the classics one will inevitably encounter a materialist dialectic that is incompatible neither with religions (a form of idealism) nor with agnosticism.
I wouldn’t say Marxism is incompatible with dualism for example, yes Marx heavily focuses on the material struggle, but interpreting the theory in a dualist sense doesn’t really change its implications. Wealth really matters because of the way it makes us feel, the experiences it enables, not because of some inherent value. If being poor didn’t feel bad, nobody would have a problem with it.