This is in my opinion one of the worst problems with our world today. I wish the term "religion" in the Constitution was used much more loosely to include ALL beliefs and not just ones which include a higher power (with a couple of exceptions).

People make laws about adultery, prostitution, gambling, buying alchohol on Sundays, selling cars on Sundays, and several others I don't care to think of right now, based on THEIR beliefs with no regard of others' beliefs.

To me it's MORE immoral to do this than it is to let (for example) 2 consenting people have sex for a few bucks, or let someone put THEIR money on the line for a chance to win more.

Sorry, rant over. Does anyone else have any opinions on this matter?

[edit on 11/11/2007 by bigbert81]

People tend to make laws on which they think will be best for the
majority of the population. Granted alot of them will get others upset
buts its better to upset 30% then 70%.

Look how they removed the banning of Alcohol because it upset most of the people ( and could get a hefty tax )

*points at you and shoots*

Allahu Akbar!!!!!!!

It's really simple, they want Everyone to be as miserable as they are. If they don't like how there body looks, they want to ban nudity. Of course your local church will be against gambling, they want your money instead. Prostitution is illegal, because they are against pre-marital sex.

Originally posted by bigbert81
Does anyone else have any opinions on this matter?

I'm torn in two directions regarding this. It was once suggested to me that as people get older they grow more tolerant of other people's beliefs. I have not personally found that to be the case. The older I get the more tired I get of the same old stupidity being foisted upon me by people who are obviously ignorant. I get more irritated, and have much less patience with them to the point of trying to end their pointless conversation with me as quickly as possible by either saying something very insulting, or just refusing to continue the discussion. Because the discussion is essentially pointless because it always ends the same stupid way, with nobody gaining anymore fresh information or insight. That's one way I think about it.

The other way I think about it is that I have a kind of sad sympathy for these poor people, and want to cut them some slack. Like everybody, these people are trying to make sense out of this existence, and they feel like they really have an answer. It gives them a kind of thrill to have something positive to hold onto, and they're eager to share it with other people. They don't understand that they're ignorant, and caught up on the inside a huge mind game. They have no sense of perspective, and can't step back and objectively look at what they're doing and saying. They're caught up in it. They can't be convinced of it with logic or reason, because the feeling they have is stronger than anything you could say. They're like crazy people who have a completely different reality in their heads and there's nothing you can say to bring them out of it, and they don't want to be brought out of it. They prefer their craziness to your version of reality.

At that point, all I can do is shake my head and feel sorry for them, and try not to interact with them. They, on the other hand, are happy in their delusions, and feel compelled to "help" me see the light.

The obvious question that arises is that if these people are so happy, and I'm arguably less so, who has the better deal in life? The old Matrix question. If a delusion or illusion can bring more happiness to you in a life that (in my opinion) is full of horror, isn't it better to have that delusion than not? I don't know the answer to that. Just don't know.

In the case of religion I think some religious people believe that if sin/immorality comes into their community/nation, that it will undermine everyone. It will bring in the bad/devil, and undermine the well being of society.

I believe in live and let live myself. The actions of others might have some influence on me (I don't think physics knows this yet), but what folks do is their own business.

[edit on 11-11-2007 by Raoul Duke]

Why do people think it's o.k. to force their moralities/beliefs on other people?

Because dogmatic based belief systems do not allow their members to question firmly established stories/laws/rules/morales/norms. If it is a function of that system to to recruit more members than you will find how persistent a legion of unquestioning believers can be.

In contrast, other organizations that freely allow members to constantly redefine it's purpose do not tend to 'push' their beliefs on others. Unfortunately these groups are rare.