Assignment What Purpose does religion serve in contemporary society? How relevant to today are the ideas of Marx, Durkheim and Weber on this issue? Response In Australian, people have the freedom to choose their own religious beliefs. Religion serves many purposes, and some of these have been influenced by events and changed overtime. Often, when people decide to join a religious group, they aim to find themselves through moral support with the intentions of discovering purpose, love, happiness and fulfilment. The high court of Australia defined religion as “a complex of beliefs and practices which point to a set of values and an understanding of the meaning of existence” (Van Krieken, 2010, pg. 351). The sociological views on religion were led by Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber; these views provide concrete assistance in deconstructing the purpose of religion within society. Each of these philosophies will be discussed in-depth to discover how relevant they are in contemporary society today. Karl Marx was a philosopher, moralist, and a scientist with a remarkable desire for understanding the world around us. In his writings between 1844 and 1849 he had a lot to say about religion. Marx saw religion as the main factor in social conflicts with no independence, as it was reliant on the economic structures of society. Although he agreed with Durkheim that religion is a main benefactor of social solidarity, he saw religion in a somewhat negative light compared to both Weber and Durkheim. Alternatively he saw religion as rather the oppressor of people and an illusion of happiness. Marx stated that the “abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition, which needs illusions” (Schwarz, 2010, pg. 10). It is understood that Religion is used as a support system that tells people that it is okay to