Atheists: is it ever okay to impose your views on others?

Question

I hear a lot of people complaining about how Christian conservatives are trying to force their morals on others.

But all of us have morals and ethics that we feel society should enforce, like a ban on theft, assault, prostitution or slander.

So where do you draw the line? Which ethics are okay to impose on others and which ones are off-limits?

Answer 1

All ethics are man made. You don't have to, the law does it for you. And if you're unhappy with the law, go to the court and try to change it.

And the law should only enforce the very least to keep the society going in place, not to be prejudiced and stuff.

Answer 2

(I'm not atheist, but I'm going to answer anyway... ;) )

I think that the ethics that are okay to impose are the ones that are universal, like you said, ban theft, assault, etc. etc., It doesn't matter what religion you are for those. but silly ones like banning alcohol and vehicle sales on Sunday don't make much sense to most religions anyway. (The Christians I know still drink on Sunday, they just buy it on Saturday.....) All that is, is politicians having too much time on their hands.

As for things such as banning prayer in school, I have mixed views on that... I don't think it should be BANNED... but i definitely don't think it should be REQUIRED. If a kid wants to pray, let them. A little girl in this town was suspended from her ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for praying before she ate her lunch... she wasn't leading a prayer group, she wasn't telling others that they were going to hell because they weren't praying, she simply folded her hands in her lap and closed her eyes, then got suspended... how sad is that. I don't know a single atheist that would tell someone minding their own business that they should be condemned... Geeze... isn't that what most atheists say? that they are sick of Christians imposing their beliefs? I say what's good for the goose is good for the gander... let everyone have their own morals and leave well enough alone.

Answer 3

Try putting the shoe on the other foot ,imagine having religious views force on you

Atheists by definition have no kinship to spiritual or religious matters so are you really upset about having nothing imposed on you

I think most people have a measurable level of morality and ethics and those can change with the times ..example: probations rise and fall

Answer 4

The things you are listing were controlled by pre-christian faiths and are currently dealt with in societies which are not Christian or are minority Christian. Ethical behavior and good social order are not dependent on Christianity in particular or religion in general. Codes of behavior must be agreed by consensus not imposed by self appointed warranters of other peoples morality in the name of their particular aspect of the great god Mumbo Jumbo and the goddess Ripoff. You might wish to google the role of the great flying spaghetti monster on the debate about the inclusion of creationism in biology classes.

Answer 5

The line is where others' Constitutional RIGHTS (to life, liberty, and property) begin.

Theft, assault, and slander are illegal because they violate rights, not because they are immoral. The laws against prostitution (and drugs, alcohol, and gambling) are not based on morality (which cannot constitutionally be legislated). They are based upon COMMERCE, and the state's right to collect income and sales taxes.

Answer 6

Wow, this is interesting! How could atheists impose their beliefs on anyone. Maybe an inquisition. Maybe by defaming them in political campaigns.
Maybe we should take a bunch of secular ideas like Athenian democracy or the Magna Carta and create a country that frees people from religious tyranny and force people to be tolerant or die.
Something like that?
I can't think of any instance where an atheist has imposed anything.

Answer 7

Patrick Henry said it best: Your rights stop at the end of my nose.

If you steal from me, assault me, or slander me, you are violating MY rights. Prostitution is in another category, it should not be illegal because the two individuals are adults (I'm not talking child prostitutes) and agreed of their own free will. Yes, one can argue that a married person harms his/her spouse by having sex outside their marriage - but that happens without money all the time, and only the married person has wronged someone.

So there's the line. Prove I am doing you direct PHYSICAL harm, and I'll agree my actions should be illegal. (If we went by psycholigical harm, every preacher and priest would be in jail. Hmm, maybe not such a bad idea....) Otherwise, leave me alone!

Answer 8

No, all of us have morals and ethics that society or religion imposed on us, so when you impose ethics you never impose anything of your own, you impose what's already been imposed on you.

Answer 9

There are some that are ok, like not molesting children and stuff like that. But things like pre-marital sex, drug use, prostitution, etc can be considered personal choices, and have nothing to do with other people. If someone wants to be gay, its nobody else's business. Leave them alone.
I resent having god forced on me. If I dont believe I don't believe, and I dont need people up my butt trying to force things on me.

Answer 10

I draw the line with whatever encroaches upon another person's life, liberty, or property. Theft, assault and slander are things which cross that line.

Prostitution I don't have a problem with being legal. In situations where prostitution is legal and regulated, disease and crime are drastically reduced.

http://www.isil.org/resources/introduction.swf