The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought.

Ustinov’s remark targets “religion” not as a set of metaphysical claims but as a habitual posture—something done automatically. Read this way, “oppressive” suggests that unexamined religious routine can constrain intellectual and moral freedom by substituting inherited answers for personal inquiry. Calling it “an easy way out of thought” frames the habit as a temptation: it can relieve the burden of uncertainty and complexity by offering ready-made explanations and rules. The line also implies a broader critique of any ideology that becomes reflexive, where belonging and repetition replace reflection and responsibility.