God and America

[ludwig]

What with all the hoo-ha going on in America at the moment, I was wondering - will there ever be an openly atheist president? or is that actually a bigger barrier to cross than the racial one?

[ludwig]

..of course I'm assuming there hasn't been one yet, but maybe someone knows different.

[Octavius]

Dunno, it�s a growing movement so perhaps in time there might be. Could have been one before but he wouldn�t have really been able to declare it publicly without recourse. What about a female president? Do you think the Americans are ready for that?

[WaldoMcFroog]

According to research done by the university of Minnesota a couple of years ago, they're very much more likely to vote for a woman than an atheist. in fact, atheists were rated as more "Unamerican" than Muslims and homosexuals.

Never say never, but it certainly isn't likely to be soon.

[Octavius]

Interesting facts waldo, do you think having a female, muslim or homosexual as president would be a more notable event than having an atheist?

[WaldoMcFroog]

It would have to change fairly little, I suspect, to accomadate a woman president. It wouldn't surprise anyone that much.

It would have to change quite a lot to accomodate a gay president.

Given the tensions between the cultures, I couldn't imagine a Muslim becoming president (though some, I suppose, attempt to claim Obama is one, but their claims are baseless and feeble) in the current society.

In principle, an atheist president should be non-noteworthy because the US was concieved of as, and is legally, a secular state. In reality, of course, it would be hugely noteworthy, but then again, US society would again have to change quite substantially before it happened.

Not sure there's more than a hair between the last three.

In principle, all those factors should be irrelevancies.

[keyplus90]

Waldo � I did read that somewhere too. Is it written in The God Delusion?

When I was listening to his oath taking yesterday, that is exactly what I thought. Had there been an atheist, would he had said word �God�?

[jake-the-peg]

As I pointed out on another thread America wasn't always this God fearing nation.

The Founding fathers were pretty ambivilent and there was quite a strong deist spirit there.

"History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose. " � Thomas Jefferson

Tom Paine may even have been an Atheist, he was certainly accused of it

Abraham Lincoln wrote:

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma."

Benjamine Franklin wrote:

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies."

"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches."

[USALady]

I think there would be quite a lot of uproar if a person running for president were atheist. There was quite the uproar when Mitt Romney announced his candidacy for president and he is a Mormon. As far as a woman, I don't think there would be much surprise or concern; however, the majority of the American population is thrilled Hillary Clinton didn't make it!

[naomi24]

USAlady, I think there would be quite a lot of uproar if a person running for president were atheist.

Why do you think that is?

[123everton]

I was surprised at how much mention was made of God during the whole ceremony.
I'd imagine for an openly and committed atheist to become President they would have to swear their oath on the constitution.

[USALady]

Because according to statistics and surveys, most Americans want to know the person leading the nation has a belief in God. I am sure there have been presidents that have probably been atheist but it was not something shared with the public. It seems that a true atheist would not put his hand on the Bible or utter the word "God" in the inaugaration. I'm sure we have had a few less than honest presidents in our history such as Richard Nixon to name one. (Please! I am not saying atheist are less than honest here!) It may have been something they did to pacify the nation and not cause a stir in society and was too cowardly to admit they were atheist. (I don't know that Richard Nixon was an atheist and I'm not suggesting he was either).

At the moment, there is a campaign to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from our currency because of the atheists and agnostics protest of it being there and there has been a tremendous uproar over this - most people being in favor of keeping it on the currency.

[Rollo]

Too many fundamentalist Americans think that they are "God's chosen ones" and can do nothing wrong.

It's dangerous for the rest of us who happen not to be Americans and live in a country where a person's religion, or lack of it, it totally irrelevant.

[Octavius]

Jake, many past presidents have asserted their anti-Christian or anti-religion views in their writings as you have demonstrated above. No end of quotes on t�web if you want to get your fill. But most, if not all, of them professed a belief in God, a creator, a god, or Natures God. I don�t think any would say outright they were an atheist or did not believe in God.

[naomi24]

USALady Because according to statistics and surveys, most Americans want to know the person leading the nation has a belief in God.

I wonder why? Do they think that someone who believes in God would do a better job than someone who doesn't? Can't see why he should. What's the thinking behind it?

[naomi24]

Know what you mean, Wibble. I've been called an adultress on here, by a Christian, because I'm divorced and re-married. (I'm not for one moment suggesting all Christians think that way - but some certainly do).

[USALady]

Personally, I don't think a belief in God or not would make a difference in one's ability to be a good president; however, as a professing Christian it just simply gives me comfort to know that he would share the same beliefs. It's a little up in the air as to what Barack Obama believes.

[naomi24]

Oh, I see. Thank you for answering that.

[USALady]

wibble56: I understand where you are coming from and am sorry about your GF. It's sad that a denomination would throw someone out because of that! I wonder what type of church it was? However, for the most part we Americans are sincere in our praises to God but we are also sinners.

[naomi24]

USALady, I may have misunderstood you, but are you suggesting that Wibble's girlfriend is a sinner because she had the sense to leave a violent husband?