In 18th-century England, an unknown wit described the Church of England as a political party “at prayer”. For Marx, any institution that serves capitalist interests, including religion, has to be contested, and ultimately done away with. The replacement will be a humanist society based on socialism and communism. According to Marx religion is "consolation and justification" for the existing state and society. When a society is riven by inequality, injustice is perpetuated rather than eased.