Should atheism be illegal?

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Should atheism be illegal?

If there is no God, there wouldn’t be any atheists.
 
ribozyme said:
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.
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If we evolved from monkeys, who have no god or religion, why would we need to make the transition from an atheist to a theistic society?
 
Exalt said:
I’m an atheist. I’m very concerned about the influence of Christianity (and religion in general) on our government. I don’t think atheism will ever become illegal in America, but it’s not because of religious reasons, and I think it’s in spite of religious logic that would lead to other religions becoming illegal. Let’s not forget the history of Christianity and it’s periods of extreme intolerance of other religious viewpoints for perfectly logical reasons - if you accept those religious tenants. Let’s not forget the numerous passages, chapters in the Bible (which I have read, by the way, and taken a number of classes on, as a Religious Studies undergraduate major) that say adherance to any god other than Yahweh ought to be met with death (along with a whole host of other offenses, I might add).

The history is there. The logic is there. It could happen again. It’s possible.
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Does any one else feel insulted by this? I do.

I think that the above paragraphs speak to a lack of understanding of the complexity of the historical development of ideas.

Christianity is commonly portrayed as having deprived people of rights which they had in some pre-Christian past. This is a false conception. The average citizen or non-citizen received better treatment under Christian governments than their non-Christian predecessors. Don’t forget that Ancient Rome was a society centered on the eventual deity of its emperors. Only Romans were full citizens afforded full rights, etc.

Although you are correct that periods of oppression have occurred, the issue is much more complex than the statements you have made. Historically speaking, the modern conception of the idea of universal human rights, inviolably possessed by all men, began in Spain with the repulsion of many Dominicans at their governments treatment of the American Natives. Ideas like property rights and international law all have their root in the debates which sprang up among the moral theologians of the day.

Your xenophobic attempt to tar Christianity with the brush of oppression reveals your own ignorance of humanitys slow march towards recognizing the value of individuals. Still, looking around the world today, the only places where individual rights are truly appreciated are those with a Christian heritage or those which were heavily influenced by Western nations.
 
eliasaph99 said:
Christianity is commonly portrayed as having deprived people of rights which they had in some pre-Christian past. This is a false conception. The average citizen or non-citizen received better treatment under Christian governments than their non-Christian predecessors. Don’t forget that Ancient Rome was a society centered on the eventual deity of its emperors. Only Romans were full citizens afforded full rights, etc.
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I am amazed at how people can hold such bizzare ideas without ever subjecting them to the test of logic.

Christianity was an* illegal* religion. Being a Christian could result in loss of property, imprisonment, flogging, mutilation and so on. It could cost you your life.

So if Christianity was so horrible, how come people risked life, limb and property to become Christians?

It doesn’t compute!
 
eliasaph99 said:
Christianity is commonly portrayed as having deprived people of rights which they had in some pre-Christian past. This is a false conception. The average citizen or non-citizen received better treatment under Christian governments than their non-Christian predecessors. Don’t forget that Ancient Rome was a society centered on the eventual deity of its emperors. Only Romans were full citizens afforded full rights, etc.
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Just to be the devil’s advocate- prove it.
 
Filius99993 said:
Just to be the devil’s advocate- prove it.
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  1. The burden of proof is on the one advancing the original argument – that Christianity deprived people of rights.
  2. The fact that people were willing to risk life, limb and property to become Christians tells you that people had a positive, not a negative perception of Christianity.
 
Exalt said:
… grave sins are illegal, such as murder, rape, theft, etc. …So, why shouldn’t atheism be illegal? Where is my logic wrong?
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The error in logic is in equating criminal conduct with sin. Such crimes aren’t illegal because they’re grave sins. They’re illegal because various penal codes criminalize certain kinds of conduct. The fact that concepts of sin and crime sometimes overlap doesn’t logically imply a one-to-one correspondence.

As for legislating faith? How fortunate we have the First Amendment to protect us from such a disasterous idea.
 
Exalt said:
Enforcement would be extremely difficult, as would pinning down a penalty. But it being illegal, regardless of levels of enforcement or penalty, would serve as a deterrent and result in less atheists. Which is a good thing, right?
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No.
crowonsnow said:
It is my understanding that from a Christian perspective all non-christians are atheist.
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No.
crowonsnow said:
What is the difference between false religion and atheism? How are they not the same thing? How would a state outlaw atheism without also outlawing false religions?
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Atheism=no God, False religion=the wrong god
vern_humphrey said:
I suggest the people have voted for mentally-ill persons before. I would give you a list of obvious candidates, but the rules forbid it.
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:rotfl: …and maybe a few that are currently running? 😃
ribozyme said:
If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him.
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And since there is one, we don’t need to. 🙂
 
Exalt said:
Atheism is quite possibly one of the worst sins in the eyes of the Church. It includes a complete rejection of Jesus, the authority of the Church, the love of God - almost every single Catholic doctrine about the divine. It most certianly is a mortal sin, if the other two conditions for a mortal sin are met.

Other grave sins are illegal, such as murder, rape, theft, etc. Atheism, which is just as bad (if not even worse) than those sins, ought to be illegal too. Also, it would be a deterrant to conversion to atheism and most likely result in significantly fewer atheists.

So, why shouldn’t atheism be illegal? Where is my logic wrong?
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Your logic is fine. But using strong-arm tactics is not the way to spread or defend the Good News; it doesn’t need *our *help. 🙂​

Making atheism illegal to defend the Gospel is like making war for the sake of peace: a contradiction in terms; not to mention an affront to the nature of the gift of faith. For Faith is a gift, from God, which depends entirely on His Will to give. We are men - not God. And it cannot be forced; one cannot beat devotion into a child, & one cannot force-feed faith into an unbeliever.

God allows us to commit sins every day: to hate, & curse, & lie, & to deny His Goodness to us, to doubt & despise Him a thousand times a day. So imprisoning atheists for their atheism is not wise - only sins against our neighbour (& only a few such sins) call for the intervention of the law or the state. Otherwise, all sinners would be in prison - if not worse. Including their gaolers 🙂 We have no business to be more zealous for God, than God Himself is. Where He is merciful, so must we be; our mercy, is a showing of His.
 
Exalt said:
Atheism is quite possibly one of the worst sins in the eyes of the Church. It includes a complete rejection of Jesus, the authority of the Church, the love of God - almost every single Catholic doctrine about the divine. It most certianly is a mortal sin, if the other two conditions for a mortal sin are met.

Other grave sins are illegal, such as murder, rape, theft, etc. Atheism, which is just as bad (if not even worse) than those sins, ought to be illegal too. Also, it would be a deterrant to conversion to atheism and most likely result in significantly fewer atheists.

So, why shouldn’t atheism be illegal? Where is my logic wrong?
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Though many liberals are trying to do so, you cannot or should not legislate thought. Your logic is very much twisted. It is not against the law to think about rape, but against the law (man’s law) when one acts out on that thought.
Just because someone thinks God doesn’t exist, how do you suppose they are able to act on that thought?

God is able to judge us by our thoughts, but if we try to do the same then we are fooling ourselves, oh, that is what keeps most of us in trouble to begin with, many of us think we are gods or can become gods or know better then God.🤷
 
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