Opium of the masses

'Religion is the opium of the masses' - Goes the partial quotation of Karl Marx
The full one is  - 'Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people'

Well I have always interpreted the first translated quote differently considering in the modern times opium is basically a substance of abuse. But in reference to the context it was written in its basically a panacea for the ills and sufferings of the world.
Well I would like to delve deeper. Religion is organised division of people along communal lines meant to give them a sense of identity and also some semblance of being looked after by some higher power. In times of distress one can always turn to religion and follow the laid down path to achieve some solace and in times of joy rejoice within the faith.
For me religion as seen today has become more of a burden on global humanity. Instead of defining our identities and helping us through tough times its making us fanatically inclined towards supremacy. It should have been inclusive leaving some window open for fresh ideas but its become a closed circle where a divergent thought is considered to be a threat to the piety of the faith. People fail to understand that religion is like a guide book leading us on the path of life for its meaningful interpretation. In fact it should give a sense of belonging to the vast humanity inhabiting this earth.
There is very little scope for integration of faiths. The faithfuls are bound by their inclination and staunch belief in religion. They have been locked behind doors which do not welcome the others. Whereas religion should give flight to souls so that they can rise above pettiness.
Reasons for this are plenty. According to me part of the reason is the vicarious nature of understanding religion. Very few faithfuls I think have directly accessed the scriptures, the holy books which carry the essence of that they believe in. The result being that a lot of its lessons are lost in translation. Someone else's interpretation cannot be your truth. You have to paint your own picture.
Another reason I feel is our unwillingness to comprehend and process logic and commonsense. We simply do not want to let our conscience do the talking. We have smothered it under the burden of second hand lessons.
I acknowledge the fact that not everyone has the means and the skill to directly take a swig from the fountain of knowledge but at least they can let their humane side flourish.  At least they can let the inner voice be heard.
In today's times its all the more important that we take this long pause in our lives as an opportunity to reflect and start afresh so that our beliefs become a vehicle to carry us forward and not to trample upon others.