Atheism isn't protected by the 1st Amendment

Really? You are an expert on Jeffersonian speculative predictions?

 

Hmmmm you had an interesting thought experiment until you drove it off the road and into the Grand Canyon.

I agree- 'atheism' is not a religion. Whether or not writing a law prohibitting anything but religion would fall under the First Amendments protection is an interesting thought experiment- not really much of anything more, unless you really would like the concept of mandatory religion- which of course is offensive to all Americans.

But then you jump the shark completely by saying that you can ban free speech because ....well you disagree with it.

And that of course is not only unconstitutional but frankly Un-American.

 

Thomas Paine was one of the most harsh critics of religion in his day. Ever read The Age of Reason?

 

Whatever dude. The point is, in this country you have the right to believe what you want and you have the right to express those beliefs whether it offends anybody or not. The right to not believe something simply does not hinge on the first ammendment clause of freedom of religion. To propose that it does is just laughable. To propose there could actually be a serious attempt to ban atheism is just wacko wish thinking.

here read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_thought

and take particular note of...

"Freedom of thought... is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom. With rare aberrations a pervasive recognition of this truth can be traced in our history, political and legal."

again, your premise that atheism could be banned if its not a religion is just plain wrong.

 

So does that mean we should start forcing people to pick a religion? Can we make one up? Because I'll follow the Invisible Pink Unicorns if I have to. After all I do love the color pink and unicorns are just sooo majestic. rofl!

 

I'll go for Pastafarian myself. lol!

 

Mmm pasta. Oh gosh it's just such a difficult choice!

 

It is protected, through this idea of freedom of expression from the first amendment. This is the right that gives us the right to believe in any belief system, to believe in any political idegoly we want to.

 

So that means we can also ban conservatives.

I'm down.

 

Conservatives don't ask to be recognized as a religion, so they're no hypocrisy there.

 

But conservatives are very dangerous. They need to be controlled.

 

Neither do atheists... still waiting for that link!

 

Me too. But if we can't then that means that conservativism is a religion and we can ban all non conservative ideologies. Cool!

 

Me too. But if we can't then that means that conservativism is a religion and we can ban all non conservative ideologies. Cool!

 

Your argument limits belief to religion only.

Conservatism is a belief and is protected in the same way that atheism is.

Thank you for contradicting yourself in one post.

 

You're welcome

 

You can't ban disbelief in something. The clause to which you refer means that no particular religious view will be officially recognised and instituted by the State, nor imposed upon US citizens by it.

Let's try to have an informed discussion here, though. The issue, presumably, is this:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6034949/Atheism-Is-Protected-As-a-Religion-says-Court-
For the purposes of protection under the First Amendment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (May 13, 1997), decided the Orange County N.Y.Department of Probation could not force Robert Warner, an atheist, to attend religion-based alcoholic treatment programs against the dictates of his own beliefs.

Let's consider this. The government was trying to force an atheist to attend something religious. That right there was already wrong, and I think that was and is the real issue that needs to be addressed. It's not right for a court to try and order someone to attend something religious, since that in effect establishes that religion. It's like a court ordering that you attend a church service.. This is the issue, not "banning atheism." Any attempt to ban atheism would be utterly stupid, of course, though I'm sure there are a number of religious Americans who would like to see it happen.

 

Your argument limits belief to religion only.

Conservatism is a belief and is protected in the same way that atheism is.

Thank you for contradicting yourself in one post.

 

I actually would be okay accepting that the free exercise clause doesn't protect atheism. However, the expression part of it does. The government can't stop atheists from expressing their atheist ideas. Also, the establishment clause would protect atheism. The government forcing citizens to believe in god would be "respecting" theistic religions. And, as has already been pointed out, the Supreme Court disagrees with you. They have explicitly said that atheism counts as a religion for the purpose of first amendment application.

 

I feel so sorry for all the infants in this utopia, jailed for their atheism.

 

Can you provide a definition of what you think "equivalent" means? I think all atheists agree that atheism should be "equivalent to a religion for first amendment purposes", which is all the Supreme Court has done, and which is all the Supreme Court has the power to do. However, you should provide all the steps in the logic between that and atheism being a religion.

You may, of course, argue that atheism should be considered a religion, but the argument you presented here is not applicable.

 

hey Mr Tallyban ... are you planning on turning the US into a theocracy?

 

It'd be funny to see it happen just to watch how PO'd the militant atheists would be - these guys already go apesh*t over a Christmas tree or a cross being on a public ground - so if we set up a theocracy it'd be funny to watch the reactions - they think they have it bad now because they have to glimpse a Christmas tree or a nativity scene once a year - I bet they'd have a seizure

 

really?

most atheists I know don't care about nativity scenes and christmas trees ......

I know I don't ...

but I am curious about the attachment you have to to Christmas trees ... which originated with a germanic pagan tradition related to solstice, and have nothing to do with christianity.


Its also interesting that you seem willing to persecute people because they don't share your beliefs.

 

The Volkswagen Beetle originated in Nazi Germany - what's your point?