Yes, part three of my "atheists as communists" series...seeing as it's my last question for the day I thought I may as well make it a virtually unanswerable one!
2007-04-24 02:45:42 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Atheism is a "form" of belief system that, ironically, negates belief.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to legislate a belief system on a person.
This can be likened to legislating people to believe in magical tree gnomes, flying smurfs, seven-eyed flying monkeys, or that the brain is incapable of belief entirely.
So the answer is a simple no. It has never worked. Just because someone (a country) legislates it, doesn't mean that all people are going to buy into it. Thus, their efforts at legislation will prove fruitless.
2007-04-24 03:00:10 · answer #1 · answered by art_is_my_religion 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's really a shame you didn't use the body of your question to clarify what exactly you mean by "state-legislated atheism". You mean countries that ban all religion or which are simply, officially atheist (having no interest in establishing an official religion for it's citizens)? It's pretty clear the only states that have banned religion are communist states but that isn't really about only atheism. Do you want to know if communism works or if governments need god?
Your question is too clever by about 50% and, as you say, unanswerable and hence meaningless.
2007-04-24 09:57:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
That depends on what purpose you were expecting it to serve. I think it did a good job of suppressing religion in public and keeping religion from interfering with the power of the dictator in some cases, at least for a while. However, religion will always just fester underground until the moment is right to strike out or until the inevitable fall of the dictator. While people come and go, religion is pretty constant.
It did nothing to make people stop believing in their gods.
2007-04-24 09:51:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Why worry about state legislated atheism?
I think some countries have experimented with that in the past but it did not work. However, I do not see this happening in the US today.
2007-04-24 09:50:52 · answer #4 · answered by A.Mercer 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
China has used it for a long time but there are lots of Christians there.
2007-04-24 09:49:05 · answer #5 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No more than state legislated worship has or will.
Cheers
Guy
http://inhisgracecards.com
2007-04-24 09:50:40 · answer #6 · answered by BodyByChocolates 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Atheism is a religion and cannot be state-legislated.
2007-04-24 09:52:25 · answer #7 · answered by Fish <>< 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Only as enforced at the end of a gun barrel.
2007-04-24 09:50:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Travel to the former Soviet Union and ask them;would be my suggestion....While there...you might do a little research in their rate of alcoholism, ennui and despair.
2007-04-24 09:51:44 · answer #9 · answered by Bill S 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No it hasn't. The human being needs to believe in something bigger than themselves.
2007-04-24 10:07:30 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋