Weekly Poll: Should Religion get Special Privileges, like with Anti-Blasphemy Laws?
Religion, and especially Christianity, is often treated as though it should be immune from criticism, much less harsh attacks. Blasphemy laws are a primary means used by religions to control critical speech and ideas. Criminalizing blasphemy uses both the power of the state and the idea of sin to suppress both the expression of ideas as well as the contemplation of those ideas. This causes people to self-censor before the state has to get involved by imposing censorship.
Blasphemy laws have lost a lot of credibility over the years, but some believers continue to support them as valid and effective. For some, just calling into question whether Christianity is true or rational is scoffed at by — and these same people think nothing of lambasting political ideologies like liberalism or socialism. Is such a double-standard justified? Do you think that religion should be protected by anti-blasphemy laws? This may sound like an odd question on an atheism site, but even some atheists seem to believe that religion should be treated differently from other ideologies and belief systems — though not many advocate going so far as to provide legal protection for religion alone.
Religion should not be protected by any blasphemy laws and the the criticism and skepticism of religion should be increased especially toward radical fundamentalism, creationism and intelligent design whose proponents and adherenets are plotting constantly to suppress public science,reason and freedom in this country and around the world. Just as fundamentalism has always been the enemy of human progress in the past, it
continues to be a very real threat to society today.
I’ve given this a lot of thought and come up with a sound, logical theory.
Religion should be treated differently. There should be blasphemy laws AGAINST religion, as well as bias, discrimination, hate, mockery, disdain, ridicule as well as anyone who professes any belief not be allowed to hold public office, or be a teacher, or be on a school board, etc.
What the hell, if you’re going to claim to be discriminated against, you may as well know what it feels like.
Religion is a racket, so it shouldn’t be supported.
Religion is a racket that should not be supported.
I’ve always thought it convenient for the advocates of a particular belief structure to place neatly within the confines of said belief a premise that to question the very belief is in itself a sin…religion should be harshly judged and unceasingly questioned.