Acharya Prashant critiques the common understanding of religion, agreeing with Karl Marx's statement that religion is the 'opium of the masses' for the vast majority of people. He explains that for 999 out of 1000 people, religion is a form of unconsciousness or a foolish set of beliefs that are below the level of human intelligence. Because religious claims often lack the logical proof found in mathematics or science, people use religion as a convenient excuse to hold onto irrational ideas and superstitions without being corrected. He notes that in developed nations, intelligent people are increasingly distancing themselves from this 'foolishness' called religion, while it remains a refuge for the uneducated or the cunning.