Idiots in my religion class

Some of the viewpoints in my class are utterly ridiculous:

Matthew 19:24 "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Someone actually quoted this in my class and used it as their discussion question answer.

Sometimes I can't believe how idiotic people are believing this garbage. Isn't the love of money the root to all evil, not money in and of itself? I realize the premise of God coming first but if God gives you the skills to obtain great wealth than why is it worthy of punishment when one actually does so? That would be like being parents grounding their child for getting straight A's.

My belief is that religion is a man made entity to help relieve the anxiety around dying. All of us are uncertain about what happens at the end no matter how we try to cover it up. This is why man created religion promote the idea of eternity. No one wants to admit the possibility that we are born, we live, we die, and that's it.