If you have the power to, would you?

Question

If you were somehow (let's leave the details to your imagination) to be in a position to have world power. Decree laws and such.

Would you, as an atheist, ban churches or religion?
Would you, as a believer, ban all "other" churches or religion?
Would you, as an agnostic, change anything about religion, it's practices or those who do not believe?

Why or Why not?

Maybe I was a little to vague. What would you change, if you could.... on this topic.

Answer 1

I'm an atheist, and I would neither ban nor support religion. I would make their property subject to the same taxes as any other non-profit organization. In other words, the rules we now have for "non-profit educational" or "non-profit benevolent" would work just fine without having to make a separate privileged category for religion.

The other thing would be to subject ALL radio and television, Internet and publications to the same rules, including religious organizations. Same thing with schools and day-care centers and nursing homes and so on. Simply subtract all the privileges that go with religion, without exception. It's just another non-profit organization, subject to the same scrutiny of finances, and so on. Subject to the same rules about fraud and misrepresentation, too.

Answer 2

1. If I was an atheist yes I would coz whats the point in religion.
2. No I would not ban all other religions coz I believe that everybody has the right to choose their own religion.
3. No I would not change any religions teachings coz even though they all teach about the same thing they all should be intitled to teach it differently. If all religions taught in the same way then what a boring old world it will be to live in.

Answer 3

Oaky...I would mandate that any and ALL things of a religious nature are sacrisanct and untouchable by ANY authority outside of the religious belief of the person in question.

IN other words, if you are not part of a religion, you do NOT have any right to say anything about what they do, how they do it, when they do it, where they do it, why the do it or with whom they do it. When there is ANy conflict between religious law and secular law religious law ALWAYS wins out. If something is against a person religious belief then no individual, group or organization can force them to do it. If something is either permitted by a persons religion or is not addressed then no one can prevent them from doing it, regardles of what it may be.

Such a decree would not only guarantee TRUE religious freedom (not the illusion that is propogated in those countries that have been trying to deceive their citizens into believing they have the real thing) and end the conflicts between them, permanently.

Answer 4

As a christian, if I could and had ultimate power, like a communist ruler or something, or just magicaly got whatever I wanted... :)
I would......
Make the study of ALL major religions maditory in schools so we learn the pro's and con's of all religions and the evidence backing them.
Change the study of origins to it's own class, in high school that talks in depth about the different interpretations of the facts, lets have these kids make up their minds based on the facts.
Push for the spread and advance of INTELLIGENCE.
Have logic be a required class.
Change sex ed to a more comprehensive class that talks more in depth about everything INCLUDING the emotional issues that come with sex.
I would push for reading more in all classes as homework, and push for critical thinking amoung everyone.
I would overhaul our corrupt government, and bring it back to a less corrupt government.
I would get rid of immorality as an option, and make it less wonderful looking in the media.
I would not ban all other religions, I would point out their flaws and their good points, and I would show that ANY CONFLICTING RELIGIONS CANNOT BOTH BE TRUE.
I would get rid of the corrupt aspects of christianity and the comprimised aspects and bring it back to it's original innocence.
I would push for more work ethic in the people, and I would push for MEn to treat women better and women to treat men better and a basic rise in morality and behaivior.

haha, I sound like a politician ("If elected I promise to...")
well thats what I would do.

Jess - feel free to email me.

Answer 5

I haven't a belief system that would allow me to BAN religion as a whole due to the fact that I have respect for some aspects of the warped beliefs of some sects. What I'd ban is the idea that the God concept is different between religious belief systems. I'd also ban the fighting over who method of reaching God (assuming there is one) is best. I think that by taking what I percieve as being the bad/sad parts of religion out of the picture we could still have it. NO I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN ME AS GOD...that's the Roman Imperial way and several other cultures way...we all see how that went...HAPPY HOLIDAYS...good question...

Answer 6

I would put them all on an even playing field. They would be accountable for taxes on generated profit, since they aren't mailing that money to god. They would pay land taxes as well.

They would be free to actively practice their religion in public, be it praying, whatever. They would NOT be allowed to preach from street corners and the like. If someone is interested in hearing about a religion, there are a ton of ways to get that information. Being a public nuisance is not justified by faith.

I wouldn't ban anything short of human sacrifice, stuff like that. Everyone would be allowed to practice their faith as they saw fit, up to the point of affecting others with it.

Answer 7

As an Atheist I wouldn't ban any religion or churches. I wouldn't become a dictator. I support freedom, so I wouldn't like to suppress the beliefs of anybody. I would maybe make education less influenced by any religion.

Edit: Yeah I wouldn't become the fanatic or fundamentalist that I used to hate.

Answer 8

As an agnostic, I would simply pose that religions either get along with each other or fade into obscurity. We non-bible-torah-quran people don't like having philosophies shoved down our throats. We have our own, and we'd like to keep it that way, thanks. I'm sure that's true of the pro-bible-torah-quran people, too. If we could divert the energy of the bible bashers into something positive (like making our society a better place,) everyone would be a little happier. Of course, they'd hate each other for some other ridiculous crap, but that's what they (people in general) do.

Answer 9

i would not ban religion or churches

but i would make religion 100000% seperate from law. Religious groups would not be allowed to campaign, make contributions, advertise or give any form of group imput for anything political

no laws that have religious biases would be allowed, and any in place would be re-evaluated

I dont care if someone believes in god, thats their issue, not mine. But when your religion influences someone else, who isnt of the same mind, thats when its not ok.

Answer 10

Fundie: And no, that's ridiculous. If people's hearts are changed and the move over to the Christian 'team', awesome. But that comes from their hearts being changed --- not their laws being changed. If we try to do something like that with laws, that will just cause people to be resentful of and hate Christianity and thus vicariously, Christ. Only God can change a person's heart --- not man and certainly not man's laws. That would be disastrous.