Should atheism be illegal?

[Wirraway]

interesting question, worthy of exploration.

what religion is to be mandated?

 

[trichocereus]

In his day Jesus walked with the most unpopular people of His world. He walked with people like prostitutes and tax collectors and even… GASP those dirty rotten steenking atheists of the time, that is people who just didn’t believe in God, just because nobody else would be their friends. Jesus was a friend to the friendless because these people needed God.

When He returns, it will be the same way again. Only, if some Christians had their way and outlawed atheism, then where would Jesus be? He would be with them and He would be calling the Christians the new Pharisees and striking to overturn them. This of course would anger the Christians because he would be a threat to their political power. They would be very frustrated and unable to understand the actions Jesus would do because the tradition of the Church is to have open doors. And the reason for those doors to remain open is so that people’s souls can be saved.

You outlaw atheists and atheism, where could they go to have their souls saved?

I get very disheartened at the hostility that many Christians express towards atheists. In wanting to outlaw atheism, they become the pharisees concerned only with their flock. And lose the lessons that Jesus warned us against.

Christianity is about saving souls. That is what matters.

You can’t save souls with closed doors.

Yes, you have spoken the truth… nice words… and real… Be blessed…

 

[Steve40]

In his day Jesus walked with the most unpopular people of His world. He walked with people like prostitutes and tax collectors and even… GASP those dirty rotten steenking atheists of the time, that is people who just didn’t believe in God, just because nobody else would be their friends. Jesus was a friend to the friendless because these people needed God.

When He returns, it will be the same way again. Only, if some Christians had their way and outlawed atheism, then where would Jesus be? He would be with them and He would be calling the Christians the new Pharisees and striking to overturn them. This of course would anger the Christians because he would be a threat to their political power. They would be very frustrated and unable to understand the actions Jesus would do because the tradition of the Church is to have open doors. And the reason for those doors to remain open is so that people’s souls can be saved.

You outlaw atheists and atheism, where could they go to have their souls saved?

I get very disheartened at the hostility that many Christians express towards atheists. In wanting to outlaw atheism, they become the pharisees concerned only with their flock. And lose the lessons that Jesus warned us against.

Christianity is about saving souls. That is what matters.

You can’t save souls with closed doors.

I thought Jesus is going to rule with an iron rod. That sounds good to me. We could use some discipline. Making atheism illegal is the loving thing to do. Outlaw what is evil and encourage what is good. Just because something is illegal doesn’t mean you disrespect people or are judgmental. I think you are getting confused with what is law and how people are treated. There is a difference.

 

[cynic]

How can you outlaw a thought process?

 

[LCMS_No_More]

How can you outlaw a thought process?

With telepaths to enforce it, of course.

 

[Steve40]

With telepaths to enforce it, of course.

You outlaw the promotion of it and institutionalization of it. You treat it the same way we should be treating pornography which is also a thought process. You go after the inciting of the perversion.

Also, within the United States in order to be in Government you must believe in God because our freedom is based upon freedom that comes from God and not from the government.

Ultimately, the promotion of atheism is sedition against the Ultimate Authority. Because it is sedition against the Ultimate Authority it is sedition against all authority, which by design comes from God.

 

[cynic]

And that ultimate authority has given us free will (from this perspective, I’m not Christian). Who are you to overide that. Really, what business of yours is it what others choose to believe.

 

[Steve40]

And that ultimate authority has given us free will (from this perspective, I’m not Christian). Who are you to overide that. Really, what business of yours is it what others choose to believe.

You are correct. You can not tell someone what they can and can not believe however, you can make the public exercising of aitheism illegal and you can make the promotion of the idea that God does not exist illegal. The will is free but laws are based upon action. You go after the actions associated with being an atheist not the will or the thought.

Our thoughts can only be judged by God and He will judge our thoughts, word and deed.

 

[pathia]

You outlaw the promotion of it and institutionalization of it. You treat it the same way we should be treating pornography which is also a thought process. You go after the inciting of the perversion.

Also, within the United States in order to be in Government you must believe in God because our freedom is based upon freedom that comes from God and not from the government.

Ultimately, the promotion of atheism is sedition against the Ultimate Authority. Because it is sedition against the Ultimate Authority it is sedition against all authority, which by design comes from God.

God is not mentioned in the Constitution, not even once. This was intentional.

 

[cynic]

You are correct. You can not tell someone what they can and can not believe however, you can make the public exercising of aitheism illegal and you can make the promotion of the idea that God does not exist illegal. The will is free but laws are based upon action. You go after the actions associated with being an atheist not the will or the thought.

Our thoughts can only be judged by God and He will judge our thoughts, word and deed.

Atheists are not forcing others to be atheists by their actions, or by the promotion of their ideas.

 

[D_M]

I’ve had some thoughts:

Why is atheism a sin?

Is it a sin because the atheist does not possess an idea of God or is it a sin because the atheist does not love God?

Atheists do not sin because they do not possess an idea of God, but rather because they do not love God.

If the sin is that they possess no love for God, then should we not also be speaking up against religious people who pay him lip-service as well on that account? Should we not rather be making it illegal not to love God?

If it is impossible to enforce such a law, then on what grounds do we make atheism illegal? If we cannot force people to love God, then what use is it really to outlaw atheism? If the sin is not loving God, then what can the law do to change that?

 

[neat62]

I’ve had some thoughts:

Why is atheism a sin?

Is it a sin because the atheist does not possess an idea of God or is it a sin because the atheist does not love God?

Atheists do not sin because they do not possess an idea of God, but rather because they do not love God.

If the sin is that they possess no love for God, then should we not also be speaking up against religious people who pay him lip-service as well on that account? Should we not rather be making it illegal not to love God?

If it is impossible to enforce such a law, then on what grounds do we make atheism illegal? If we cannot force people to love God, then what use is it really to outlaw atheism? If the sin is not loving God, then what can the law do to change that?

Atheism is a sin because it denies God…breaking the 1st Commandment of course, because they don’t keep the Sabbath a Holy Day…they then break the 2nd Commandment as well.

The reason so many want to make it illegal is because again, they are demanding “rights” that no one else is given.

 

[neat62]

Atheists are not forcing others to be atheists by their actions, or by the promotion of their ideas.

You know…if there was no God, there’d be no atheists.

 

[Starwynd]

The reason so many want to make it illegal is because again, they are demanding “rights” that no one else is given.

Excuse me? What extra rights are they demanding/

All they want is to live their own lives and not be discriminated against. Why is that so bad?

No, the real reason people want to make it illegal is because of their own prejudism against non-believers. the United States was meant to be a country for everyone, not just Christian and Christians alone.

In truth it seems that atheists are by far the most hated people in America today, worse than Jews and child molesters.

And those are the people Jesus will walk with. Not Christians who are just giving li9p service to an ideal because the law tells them to.

 

[D_M]

Atheism is a sin because it denies God…breaking the 1st Commandment of course, because they don’t keep the Sabbath a Holy Day…they then break the 2nd Commandment as well.

The reason so many want to make it illegal is because again, they are demanding “rights” that no one else is given.

I don’t think that’s how the law works, the ten commandments only applies to christians, those outside the faith are not judged by what Moses said but are judged by the natural law (ie. do unto others as you would have others do unto you) and perish without the faith.

For example: Not keeping the sabbath is not a sin to someone who does not know it to be a sin (ie. a non-christian).

Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

The precepts of the law are common with or without Moses, and the precepts of the law are that a person needs to love God and neighbour.

If denying God is not loving Him, than they sin.

 

[neat62]

Excuse me? What extra rights are they demanding/

All they want is to live their own lives and not be discriminated against. Why is that so bad?

No, the real reason people want to make it illegal is because of their own prejudism against non-believers. the United States was meant to be a country for everyone, not just Christian and Christians alone.

In truth it seems that atheists are by far the most hated people in America today, worse than Jews and child molesters.

And those are the people Jesus will walk with. Not Christians who are just giving li9p service to an ideal because the law tells them to.

They are demanding “rights” based on a lifestyle choice…behaviorial attitudes.

And no…please spare me the “can’t judge” nonesense. I can’t condemn, but it is my neighborly duty, if I truly love my neighbor to try to help them sin no more.

Let me remind you that the laws that we are too follow are GOD’s, not mine. Gays and homosexuals are called to lead a chaste life, just as I AM and YOU ARE.

Atheists are not the most hated…they, however, hate the most. They prohibit the love of God by others…and in fact, have been the greatest cause of tyranny and death that the world has ever seen. Under the atheistic Communist government more than 61,000,000 of their OWN people.

 

[neat62]

I don’t think that’s how the law works, the ten commandments only applies to christians, those outside the faith are not judged by what Moses said but are judged by the natural law (ie. do unto others as you would have others do unto you) and perish without the faith.

For example: Not keeping the sabbath is not a sin to someone who does not know it to be a sin (ie. a non-christian).

Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

The precepts of the law are common with or without Moses, and the precepts of the law are that a person needs to love God and neighbour.

If denying God is not loving Him, than they sin.

I think you better check your Catechism because as I understand it…the Ten Commandments ARE the natural laws, written on every human heart by our Creator Himself. And they were given to Moses, no specifically for “Christians” but for all people.

So in other words, to deny them or to “break” them…is to go against the natural law, and in fact, is a grevious and mortal offense against God.

 

[neat62]

I would say the exact opposite. And there are quite a few socialist and democratic countries that would agree with me. Its those with faith that undermined the governments authority. For example Poland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Malayasia, Pakistan.

And it is those with no faith that caused the greatest mass murders in history via Communism with worldwide there being…over 110,000,000, or near two-thirds of all those killed by all governments, quasi-governments, and guerrillas from 1900 to 1987.

 

[neat62]

How can you outlaw a thought process?

By your statement above, it would also beg the question, how can you enforce a “thought” process…yet under the Communist rule in the Soviet Union, millions of people were forced not to believe.

And I would have less of a problem with Atheists if they would STOP trying to enforce THEIR “non-belief” on the rest of us through court actions…for instance Michael Newdow and his continued attempts to destroy ANY sort of public display of faith.

 

[neat62]

First. As a few have already pointed out the obvious, how can it be enforced? Second. We live in a democracy,(or so i thought). This is a throw back to the treatment of the cathars. Just because a person has no belief in anything divine or supreme, surely they should be free to believe in nothing.

Sorry, but in case you missed it…the original poster already stated he was not specifically referring to the US or any other nation…it was a question of morality.