Kate's Reaction to Marx for Beginners

I found Rius’s book Marx for Beginners both helpful and mildly annoying. Though I have briefly studied Marx in a class or two, I’ll admit that I was not well versed in his work. In my literature class, we touched upon his work, but focused specifically on Marxist literary theory; in sociology, he was merely a paragraph in the first chapter on the founding fathers of the subject. I am grateful to Rius for simplifying Marx and making his work so accessible, but at times I found that the tone of the book lacked balance.
My main point of contention was the depiction of religion. I agree that religion is often abused in order to make those in power even more powerful, but I firmly believe that a desire for peace lies at the heart of most religions. As a general rule, anything contrary to that goal is a perversion of the religion by those who claim to follow it. I find that to be my worst fear: those who hijack a religion for their own purpose, and simultaneously disregard the main tenants of the faith. It’s important to guard against associating the religion in its pure form with those who twist it.