I remember being about twelve and watching my friend dread Sundays because his parents forced him through three hours of church. He didn't rebel loudly, he just went hollow. And I think that hollow is exactly what mandatory religion produces. Because here's the thing: coercion doesn't create faith, it creates compliance. If you force people to pray, you get robots, not believers. From a utilitarian angle, that's a net loss — you might get social order, but you lose sincerity, curiosity, and the genuine comfort religion is supposed to offer. From a deontological view, forcing belief violates autonomy. Treating people as ends means letting them choose their own meaning, even if they choose wrong. And virtue ethics? Patience, humility, charity — those only grow when chosen freely. Sure, shared ritual can be beautiful. But making it mandatory strips the goodness right out of it. Is it right to force someone toward God? I'd say that's the quickest way to push them away.

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