Religion is the opium of society?

Actually, the phrase is "religion is the opiate of the masses", a popular Karl Marx observation. This could be taken as truth to those who are particularly cynical about religion, faith, and the power these facets hold over most human societies. Many people see religion as a drug or sorts because of the way it captures people and in many cases changes their behavior. For example, if a person is a criminal and ends up in prison, they may have a religious experience and upon release may be "a different person" because their values and mores have changed drastically.