Is punishment for apostasy evil?

[leibowde84]

By apostasy I am referring to leaving a religion. Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith? What if they actively try to convince others?

I say, both are very immoral and contrary to progress of understanding. What are your thoughts?

 

[gsa]

I want to say yes. But I also want to know if you are talking about any and all forms of punishment, or just those inflicted by the state? I think imprisoning or killing someone for leaving a religion is a serious human rights violation, but denying them communion within the confines of a cult (i.e., Jehova's Witnesses) is annoying but not criminal.

 

[Sunstone]

I want to say yes. But I also want to know if you are talking about any and all forms of punishment, or just those inflicted by the state? I think imprisoning or killing someone for leaving a religion is a serious human rights violation, but denying them communion within the confines of a cult (i.e., Jehova's Witnesses) is annoying but not criminal.

^This.

 

[leibowde84]

I want to say yes. But I also want to know if you are talking about any and all forms of punishment, or just those inflicted by the state? I think imprisoning or killing someone for leaving a religion is a serious human rights violation, but denying them communion within the confines of a cult (i.e., Jehova's Witnesses) is annoying but not criminal.

Well, I should have clarified. I mean physical or financial punitive penalties.

 

[McBell]

By apostasy I am referring to leaving a religion. Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith? What if they actively try to convince others?

I say, both are very immoral and contrary to progress of understanding. What are your thoughts?

So it is your opinion that removing people from harmful cults is immoral?

 

[Quintessence]

I don't moralize things on the whole, and nor do I feel it is my place to say what someone else's religious tradition should or shouldn't be doing. It's their tradition, not mine.

 

[leibowde84]

So it is your opinion that removing people from harmful cults is immoral?

No. I claimed the opposite. Punishment in this case is immoral.

 

[leibowde84]

I don't moralize things on the whole, and nor do I feel it is my place to say what someone else's religious tradition should or shouldn't be doing. It's their tradition, not mine.

It is a terrible thing when beliefs are considered off-limits to criticism.

 

[Thana]

By apostasy I am referring to leaving a religion. Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith? What if they actively try to convince others?

I say, both are very immoral and contrary to progress of understanding. What are your thoughts?

I think calling it evil is a bit overdramatic but yeah, It's certainly not an agreeable thing.

 

[leibowde84]

I think calling it evil is a bit overdramatic but yeah, It's certainly not an agreeable thing.

In the interest of clarity, by evil I mean depraved or morally corrupt.

 

[McBell]

No. I claimed the opposite. Punishment in this case is immoral.

My apologies.
I misread the OP.

 

[leibowde84]

The title asks if punishing apostasy is evil. The opening post asks if it's immoral.

I consider "evil" and "immoral" to be very different in meaning.

To me it really depends on the form and extent of what you're calling punishment. If you're talking about physical punishment, or anything designed to take down/destroy a person for leaving, I think that's wrong.

I think it's wrong to take any sort of negative action against a person for simply choosing to leave, anything even close to coming from a place the other person does not have right to leave.

I think a group has a right to defend itself, so if the person is trying to come into the church buildings, and present a problem, or if the person is talking/writing/accusing the church and it's members of terrible things, the church has the right to defend itself, and for those church members to choose not to talk to that person -- just like if a person has a friend (or an ex) that is going around badmouthing them, I think it's ok to refuse to be in that person's company -- and to refuse to communicate with the person.

I apologize for the lack of clarity, but I addressed these complaints in the comments above.

 

[Revoltingest]

I want to say yes. But I also want to know if you are talking about any and all forms of punishment, or just those inflicted by the state? I think imprisoning or killing someone for leaving a religion is a serious human rights violation.....

I'll say "yes" to it always being evil, but there are degrees of evil.

......but denying them communion within the confines of a cult (i.e., Jehova's Witnesses) is annoying but not criminal.

I wouldn't call that punishment.
It's more about who belongs & who doesn't, the latter being apostates.

 

[RedDragon94]

Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith?

Well yeah. If my punishment is excommunication though I completely understand. It depends upon what the punishment is. If it's death or something like it then yes, no one has the right to do that.

What if they actively try to convince others?

Why would I try and spend more time at a place whose whole mission is something that I'm not on board with? You're not going to be able to convert everyone. Everyone has to think for themselves. (Tirade begin) Another thing, how does that make me any less like them when I try to convince others? There are some atheists out there that closely resemble fundamentalists in the way they try to convince people. I don't like people that make their lives about trying to convince everyone that their way is the right way. Both Christians and Atheists are guilty of this. It's like the scene in Nacho Libre where Jack Black's character tells the story of his parents and how they tried to convert each other. (Tirade over)

 

[Sees]

If they are doing the person physical harm or killing them because they want to be a different religion or non-religious...then yeah I think it's something evil. Lesser than falls more into nasty, bad, stupid, etc. categories.

 

[Deidre]

No one should be punished for having the desire to change his/her mind. I believe God lets us leave, and it's humanity that takes offense to these kinds of things. Not all people view faith, spirituality and religion in terms of controlling others, but many do.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think calling it evil is a bit overdramatic but yeah, It's certainly not an agreeable thing.

Killing someone for leaving is indeed evil.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

By apostasy I am referring to leaving a religion. Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith? What if they actively try to convince others?

I say, both are very immoral and contrary to progress of understanding. What are your thoughts?

Yes it is wrong (the type you clarified). I agree not taking communion anymore is annoying but physical harm, wrong regardless the topic.

 

[gsa]

I'll say "yes" to it always being evil, but there are degrees of evil.

I wouldn't call that punishment.
It's more about who belongs & who doesn't, the latter being apostates.

Well it is a form of punishment, just privately administered as opposed to publicly administered. Hence my clarification question.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

By apostasy I am referring to leaving a religion. Is it morally wrong to punish those who leave a religion and/or lose faith? What if they actively try to convince others?

I say, both are very immoral and contrary to progress of understanding. What are your thoughts?

It's certainly wrong. I wouldn't go so far as to say 'evil', but that's more a technicality on usage of the word 'evil' than anything.
And good luck to them trying to convince others, assuming that their tool of argument is honest discourse, rather than blackmail or coercion. The world would be a better place if people used their mouths, and even more importantly their ears, instead of laws and guns.