Imposing Religious Beliefs on Others

[_moksha]

What does it mean, in your estimation, to speak of "imposing" beliefs on others. Is it wrong to do so? Is it possible to have a society without such "impositions," and if so, how?

What's your opinion?



.

[_Ray A]

In this regard, you need look no further than Thomas Jefferson:

A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom

"SECTION I. Well aware that the opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds; that Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, who being lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do, but to exalt it by its influence on reason alone; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time: That to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness; and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards, which proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labours for the instruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honours and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though indeed these are criminals who do not withstand such temptation, yet neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that the opinions of men are not the object of civil government, nor under its jurisdiction; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he being of course judge of that tendency will make his opinions the rule of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government for its officers to interfere when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and finally, that truth is great and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.

"SECTION II. We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

[_antishock8]

Telling someone to have a blessed day.

Banning alcohol.

Killing broadcasters for showing "immoral" programming.

Forcing women to wear the veil/burqa. Unless you're Hally, then you secretly like it. Can you say *screwed up*?

Knocking on some unsuspecting citizen's door, uninvited, out of the blue, to tell them about your religion.

Smearing other people with lies because they don't believe in your Presidential Candidate, er, Messiah.

[_bcspace]

A good example of imposing beliefs on others is abortion as a method of birth control.

[_Jersey Girl]

What does it mean, in your estimation, to speak of "imposing" beliefs on others. Is it wrong to do so? Is it possible to have a society without such "impositions," and if so, how?

What's your opinion?



.

Call me naïve, mok, but I don't think it's even possible to "impose" one's beliefs on folks in the USA. If others disagree, I'd like to know just how they think that is done.

[_collegeterrace]

A good example of imposing beliefs on others is abortion as a method of birth control.

Too bad it was not in practice in the early 1800s

[_Scottie]

A good example of imposing beliefs on others is abortion as a method of birth control.

How in the hell is this imposing on you?? If you don't want to have an abortion, then DON'T!!

Now, if you Christians ban abortions, THAT is imposing your beliefs on everyone.

[_Scottie]

Passing religious belief into law.

The gay marriage ban is imposing beliefs on others.

[_Jersey Girl]

Passing religious belief into law.

The gay marriage ban is imposing beliefs on others.

Are you saying that:

All of those who are opposed to gay marriage are opposed based solely on religious beliefs?

[_Jersey Girl]

Passing religious belief into law.

The gay marriage ban is imposing beliefs on others.

More questions for Scottie...

1. How is it that you think religious persons manage to impose their beliefs into law?

2. Are there other laws that you think are tied to religious beliefs? If so, what are they?