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

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Marx was criticizing the use of religion by the ruling class to pacify and control the working class. He believed that religion was used as a tool to distract workers from the unjust economic conditions under which they lived and to maintain the status quo of the capitalist system. In this way, religion acted as an opiate, numbing the pain of oppression and preventing workers from rising up against their oppressors.

What Was Marx Criticizing When He Said That Religion Is