People who believe in a god should be locked up

Witnessing: If was not for logistical problems (too many believers), people who believe in a magic spirit (god) should be locked up. I would like to see a plan put in place to start doing this in 20 years. In a hundred years, believing in God should be a crime punishable by death.

Should we put this one directly in the pit, or wait for it to trainwreck first?
Seriously- if the power exists to lock other people up for their beliefs, the power also exists to lock you up for yours. Protect yourself by adopting a “live and let live” mentality.

I thought this idea was rather fruity from the title but it’s clear your ideas are absolutely insane if you mean what you said in the OP. You are advocating mass murder and genocide on a scale unseen in human history. Also why? What’s so wrong with religious folks that not only do you wish to restrict them but have them put to death? Also in a hundred years religious people will still overwhelmingly outnumber atheists and most atheists I hope are decent and tolerant enough not to want the complete massacre of theists.

I wonder what our resident legal eagles would have to say about the constitutionality of such a plan? Perhaps in the interest of regulating interstate commerce, the feds could outlaw religion. :wink:

The Constitution comes down narrowly against this idea.

To the OP: Quit helping.

IANAL, but I can think of a few immediately challenges it probably wouldn’t survive. Most immediately, the free exercise clause of the first amendment would leave this law dead in the water.

Perhaps the OP would like to tell us why he believes that belief in God/god/gods should be punishable by death.

Exactly. I can’t recall the exact quote, but I’m reminded of an exchange that goes something like this:

“Would you break the laws or remove them to defeat the Devil?”

“Yes! Anything to defeat the Devil!”

“Well, if you remove all law, what is there to protect you from the Devil?”

That quote doesn’t make sense to me; it assumes that the devil, if there were such an entity, would obey “the laws.”

…with God.

My post is not a coherent argument, just witnessing.

I am exploring extremely radical atheism as a way to combat my agnosticism.

I going to try radical religion next month. Maybe Catholicism (they have 2Pac on the playlist. But fuck 'em for this month.)

Obviously, they are speaking about attacking “the Devil” by going after people who the tear-down-the-laws guy thinks follow him. After all, the laws don’t protect the actual Devil either, if he existed. It’s an older quote IIRC.

I believe what you need is a psychologist.

From A Man from All Seasons, by Robert Bolt.

Question - where are us Buddhists going?

Comment - I am not working at the mega-prison.

who can recommend a good psychiatrist because they can write prescription(s).

Right.

The OP (and, to be fair, a lot of believers) seem to be conflating religious belief with religious action. Belief, per se, is not harmful; actions resulting from belief are harmful. We can and do regulate the latter. Of course, beliefs can lead to actions, but this does not have to be the case. Criminalizing the former is not only infeasible, but highly susceptible to abuse through the whims of whomever is in power at the time.

Speaking as an agnostic-bordering-on-atheist, it is suggestions like these that make the phrase “militant atheism” more than just right-wing fear-mongering.

Edit: I see that the OP is conducting a thought experiment. I’m going to subscribe to this thread to see what develops.

Thanks! that let me track down the real quote:

EDIT: I see **Captain Amazing ** beat me to it