Atheist President possible, how times are changing.
Offline New poll according to USA Today says a majority WOULD vote for a qualified atheist.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/s ... 56516466/1
Which is the way it should be as per the First Amendment and "no religious test" in the oath of office.
But being an atheist should NOT be the reason we vote for someone either. If, for example an atheist ran on the same economic policies as Romney, vs Obama, I would still vote for Obama.
But when people say our voice as atheists does not count, this number would be far lower 10 years ago as apposed to now. It is because each of us speak out that attitudes are changing.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
- Login to post comments
That and all of the information that is available on the internet, coupled with all of the religious scandals as of late. Religion is simply losing it's stronghold to keep people in ignorance and isolation like it once did.
I was thinking about this the other day. In the days before the Internet, if I had been an Atheist back then, it would have been a WHOLE lot harder. Outside of a few books in the library and maybe writing a letter to an Atheist organization and getting a newsletter. I would have still been stuck and felt alone.
Sites like these allow us to communicate with each other all over the world and voice our opinions and get feedback and support from one another.
This website has not only proven to be very informative, but VERY therapeutic for me.
Shit, I went through a period where I was pretty hesitant to be an out in the open Atheist because I was slightly apprehensive about debating a theist (especially the ones that had the "sound" arguments).
But now, thanks to places like this, I am not afraid to debate any theist and have no qualms about telling people that I don't believe in god.
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno
Harley,
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Religion Kills !!!
Numbers 31:17-18 - Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
http://jesus-needs-money.blogspot.com/
Well I think the election of Obama kind of proves that. Most people don't know what his religion is or they don't believe him. http://www.gallup.com/poll/155315/Many-Americans-Cant-Name-Obamas-Religion.aspx
It might be a little different if an atheist made a big deal about being atheist, but if they simply ran for office and didn't treat it as an important issue I don't think it would be a significant obstacle. Unless of course, you are running for the republican ticket, then you might have a problem in the primary. But the republicans did select a Mormon by fairly large margins, which in the minds of the fundies is not a true christian, so even that obstacle might not be impossible to overcome.
I think overall, religion is losing its power in politics, however it is clear that specific religious issues such as abortion and gay marriage remain very powerful motivators, especially on the right. A pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate isn't going to win the republican nomination anytime soon.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
I think the age of blazing fast communication and a wide variety of communication is changing things. But I think part of the long term focus on religion has also been a lack of knowledge of the Constitution and or a wholesale revision of it.
One of the things Romney did, the one instance where I see him having done the right thing was say what JFK and John Kerry had to say which was constant with the oath of office, "I will not use my article of faith to legislate". As per "no religious test" in the Constitutional requirements for office.
A good example of WHY theists should not fear an atheist in office would be if you and I ran against each other. Economically you and I are on completely different pages. I am quite sure if you were running instead of Romney fundies would over look your atheism, because they damned sure don't want a black Muslim winning a second term. And having read your posts, if I did agree with you, I think you'd do a far better job at a campaign than Romney.
But if you did, I still would not vote for you, just like if I ran you would not vote for me, simply because we are atheists. I do think it helps theists who read this understand that we are as much individuals as they are.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Lol, yeah the fundies might overlook my atheism, but when I say abortion should be left to the states, government should have no role in regulating marriage, all drugs should be legalized and that we should substantially reduce the size of the military, I suspect that most of them wouldn't show up at the polls. (As if I would ever have a prayer of winning a nomination.)
You should try going to your local republican meeting and start by making the case for economic freedom, they will all be "yeah, yeah" and then when they become convinced that they agree with you on everything, start arguing for freedom in social issues, their eyes bug out of their heads and they look at you like you're the anti-christ.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
It's an interesting question... Would Christian fundamentalists prefer an atheist or Muslim President - all other things being even?
I was under the impression that some god, even the wrong one, was preferable to nothing.. but I'm not from there, so I'd like to hear from some stateside people on this..
According to a recent Gallup poll American's in general are more willing to consider voting for a Muslim.
With only 54% saying they would consider voting for an atheist and 43% saying no way, we are the most hated of all groups. Although Muslims are withing the margin of error with only 58% saying they would vote for a Muslim and 40% saying no. The next most hated group is gay or lesbian at 68%, Mormon at 80% and everyone else over 90%. According to the poll, being black is America's favorite minority to vote for with 96% of people saying they would vote for a black candidate.
If, if a white man puts his arm around me voluntarily, that's brotherhood. But if you - if you hold a gun on him and make him embrace me and pretend to be friendly or brotherly toward me, then that's not brotherhood, that's hypocrisy.- Malcolm X
Some of my co-workers are hard core conservative Republicans that think Reagan was god's gift to the United States. One of the main themes that I get from them is : " Well, Romney is no REAL christian, but we got to get that communist, muslim that was not even born here out of office". (Yes, unfortunately, there are still people arguing about where Obama was born). However, if it came to a choice between a Republican Atheist and Obama, that would be an entirely different issue. SO many conservatives in the Bible Belt area that I currently live in go on and on about "traditional family values" "pro-life laws" "anti-adult entertainment of any kind" and hosts of other right wing christian agendas.
I really don't know how such an election would go if you had a democratic muslim and a republican atheist. Obama has never declared himself a muslim, yet many of the right-wingers where I live still use this as one of their arguing points against him. So, I am not sure how that would turn out.
I would kind of like to see that happen. But, if a Democrat Atheist were running and a Republican muslim were running, I think that the Democrat Atheist would win.
While I am not really a supporter of either party, I will say that the left-wing has always been far more tolerant of religious freedom, and secular values. (Something that I feel more and more people are a lot more accepting of as the new generation of people have been raised around it).
“It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.”
― Giordano Bruno