Opinion

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON: The real reason communists fear religion and want believers silenced

For religious people, the alarming success of radical socialists and communists in our electoral process is a real and present danger

By Bishop Robert Barron Fox News

Published July 2, 2026 7:00am EDT

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Bishop Barron reveals grave danger of Dem Party being ‘wrenched so far left’

Catholic Bishop Robert Barron addresses why he believes the American political system being "wrenched so far left" poses a real danger to American democracy.

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Like many others, I have been alarmed by the success of certain politicians in our country who identify as extreme socialists or communists. This is not a matter of classical liberals triumphing over standard-issue conservatives; this is the victory of people who stand athwart the fundamental principles that undergird our country.

There are many reasons why I detest communism, but I want to draw attention to just one issue of supreme importance. Karl Marx said that the first critique is the critique of religion. He meant that, before a complete reworking of the politics and economics of a society can take place, religion has to be taken down. This is because religion, as he saw it, is the "opium of the masses," a drug taken to dull our sensitivity to the suffering caused by economic exploitation. As long as the suffering populace is lured into complacency by fantasies about God's providence and the promise of eternal life, they will never rise up and throw off their chains.

In making this clarification, Marx was taking a step beyond his teacher, Ludwig Feuerbach. That........

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