What was Marx criticizing when he said that religion is "the opiate of the masses"?

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Marx believed that religion was used by the ruling class as a tool to control and oppress the working class by providing false hope and distracting them from the realities of their social and economic conditions. The phrase "opiate of the masses" implies that religion keeps the working class content with their suffering and prevents them from taking action to change their circumstances.

What Was Marx Criticizing When He Said That Religion Is