Thread: Why are Religions Legal?

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

The same reason that the myth that "without guns there would be no shootings", or that "Glenn Beck inspired the Tucson shooter" is legal.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

I've always thought that it would be cool if each religion was allowed to enforce its rules and laws against its adherents. Like, if you're a Christian, and you do something against the Bible, you will be punished the way the Bible says you should be punished. You will be given the option of denying the religion before the punishment. I wonder how many people would still be religious if that was the situation.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

Lying is not illegal in most places. In the U.S. it is only illegal to lie to law enforcement officers and courts of law. Well congress too but congress outlies everyone else to it a nonsensical law. Religious people only lie to themselves in your opinion because they don't share your view. They would think you lie to yourself in order not to believe. It isn't exaclty rocket science.

Originally Posted by fmw

Lying is not illegal in most places. In the U.S. it is only illegal to lie to law enforcement officers and courts of law. Well congress too but congress outlies everyone else to it a nonsensical law. Religious people only lie to themselves in your opinion because they don't share your view. They would think you lie to yourself in order not to believe. It isn't exaclty rocket science.

But it is a little more complex than you described. Religious people often tell blatant lies that are demonstrably false, often within the confines of their own expressed theology. Suggesting that a person is "lying to himself" is just rhetorical nonsense.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

Why are UFO Clubs, the Psychic Friends Network or the Flat Earth Society legal? For the simple fact that we don't have the right to regulate people's beliefs, only their actions. This is what the First Amendment is all about which is why I get so angry when Atheists say crap like this. It is bad enough to have to defend the First Amendment from Theists who want to force us to follow their beliefs, but then to turn right around and do the exact same thing to them, it is utter hypocrisy. I find it extremely arrogant and ignorant for someone to believe that their world view is the only correct one and all others are wrong.

I'm going to stop here for a moment to make some clarifications. When I talk about an Atheist's beliefs, I am in no way suggesting that they are some kind of religion (we've had enough threads on that lately). What I'm talking about is their world view. How they see the universe. You see, there is really only two ways to see the universe. One, that everything is in the universe can be explained naturally without any supernatural agency involved, or two, that the universe can only be explained by the existence of a supernatural agency. That's it. Everything else is just detail.

Now, do you think for one moment that outlawing religion will make it go away? Christianity was once illegal. Did it make it go away? Even with the threat of torture and/or death, it didn't stop it. Hell, it ended up taking over the society that had made it illegal.

So it makes no sense to make religion illegal except maybe retribution for some past hurt that was inflicted upon you by a religion.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

Perhaps your attention should be more focused on why a group such as NAMBLA is legal.

Same with KKK and similar bigoted groups like that.

Groups who harm society more than somebody who prays to God in a Mosque/Church/Synagogue/etc.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

From 'no false witness' to no misleading of another based on a selfish choice, both are wrong to do within most every society.

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

some religions in this country are illegal unless your the right race of course.. the peyote religion as an example

if you want to kill a religion, make it illegal to share your religion with others


.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

If a person must lie to themselves to hold the belief, then should it be legal?

Nobody "lies to themselves" to hold a belief. If you hold a belief, that's what you believe. If you need to "lie to yourself", you don't really hold the belief. On the basis of belief alone though, that's a personal issue.

Originally Posted by Bishadi

How is it that religious beliefs are legal, if they each have misleading information and lies?

Because the law can't be practically to beliefs because it's impossible to know for sure what an individual actually believes and it isn't something the individual in is control of. The law can be applied to actions taken as a result of a belief but that should be entirely based on the nature of the action, regardless of the belief behind it.

Originally Posted by HonestJoe

Nobody "lies to themselves" to hold a belief. If you hold a belief, that's what you believe. If you need to "lie to yourself", you don't really hold the belief. On the basis of belief alone though, that's a personal issue.

if you know a claim is a fib and yet still hold the belief as being a 'truth', then it is a personal issue; lying to the self.

Because the law can't be practically to beliefs because it's impossible to know for sure what an individual actually believes and it isn't something the individual in is control of.

Each are in 'control' of themselves and to suggest otherwise is another 'lie to the self'.

Likewise, the 'law' is not subjective to a belief but of personal comprehension as well, self awareness of doing it, and causing the action to continue to exist. Basically, if you know a claim is a lie, and yet impose to another, you cause a 'loss to the common' (all of us/existence itself). Because it is a 'false witness'.

You can restate someone elses opinion, but NO ONE can claim it is 'truth' unless it can be sustained in fact.

The law can be applied to actions taken as a result of a belief but that should be entirely based on the nature of the action, regardless of the belief behind it.

bull....

if you believe you can kill, then ask for forgiveness and it just be OK, you are lying to yourself.

If you tell a child that god will forgive him for killing another as long as he asked for forgiveness, from god; another LIE!

ie.... no one can impose a 'lie' to another, by choice and it not be an actual 'loss to the common' (bad unto existence).

and the way to measure any of the claims above is, "how would you expect to be treated?" If you found out that what is most important about comprehending life, death, morals and empathy are incorrectly grounded, would it just ruin your whole day.

Try sitting in my spot. When the sheet hits the fan, many will bring their dying children and ask for the miracle and because of liars, i get to tell them 'magic aint an option'.

So pain will be imposed to the meak because liars have lied to people for so long