Would you vote for an Atheist?

[Giovanni]

Simple question really I'm asking religious people only. I thought it would be interesting to ask.

 

[Jaime]

i don't care about a candidate's religious beliefs unless they carry over into their political beliefs. public officials are elected to uphold the constitution, not the bible, and as long as they can carry out their duties responsibly, i don't care if they worship a ball of belly-button lint.

 

[MrJason]

yes
(This is me expanding to 10 characters.)

 

[columbusboi]

Atheism= America's hope

 

[Polbear]

Even though such a question is common in the United States, it is actually an absurd thought. Men and women are elected (or should be elected) to run their jurisdiction based upon the law -- NOT set moral standards.

And for that reason, I would vote for an atheist, a Baptist, a Jew, or a Muslim. But to tell you the truth, I don't wanna know what they are, because I don't think it's important when it comes to being a successful leader.

 

[Ramindra]

If GWB is anything to go by, I would vote for an athiest any day.

 

[Orlandude]

Even though such a question is common in the United States, it is actually an absurd thought. Men and women are elected (or should be elected) to run their jurisdiction based upon the law -- NOT set moral standards.

And for that reason, I would vote for an atheist, a Baptist, a Jew, or a Muslim. But to tell you the truth, I don't wanna know what they are, because I don't think it's important when it comes to being a successful leader.

I tend to agree, however, too many laws in this country are based on moral standards....or double standards. Regardless, a persons religious convictions (or absence thereof) is not a prerequisite to doing the job...and should not be. Unfortunately, the new "game" of politics places a priority on the moral and religious assertions of certain groups of voters in order to win elections. As we have all seen, the "polarity" and divisiveness that this creates is destructive to the country. My patriotism has nothing to do with someone elses religious beliefs or non-beliefs. It never will be, no matter what they try to tell me.

If an atheist demonstrates the ability to do the job, I would vote for him/her.

 

[Críostóir]

Depends on the atheist. A good candidate otherwise? Yes.

A bad candidate otherwise? No.

Would I vote for a Catholic, a Protestant, a Jew? Same answers.

Would I vote for a Mormon, a Baha'i, a Hindu? Same answers.

Would I vote for a Moslem, a Jain, a Buddhist? Same answers.

Would I vote for a Scientologist? Probably not. Those people are crazy!

 

[Críostóir]

i don't care about a candidate's religious beliefs unless they carry over into their political beliefs. public officials are elected to uphold the constitution, not the bible, and as long as they can carry out their duties responsibly, i don't care if they worship a ball of belly-button lint.

For me, I'd want to know if they were Self-Lintists, who worship lint only from their own belly buttons, or Any-Lintists, who worship belly-button lint regardless of its source. (The Other-Lintists, who worshiped lint from all sources BUT their own belly buttons, were exterminated in the purges of the 16th Century and need not concern us here.) The Self-Lintists are a little too egotistical for me. That really could affect foreign policy, especially if a foreign dignitary offers his or her own belly-button lint as a gift. S-Ls would be obliged to refuse it, causing an international incident!

For local office, this is less of an issue, of course.

 

[ComNavFdgPk]

Considering what a bang-up job the so-called "Christians" have done with things, I wouldn't have any trouble voting for an atheist. Hell, I'd vote for Donald Duck at this point if he could show a reasonable way out of this mess!

 

[Jaime]

For me, I'd want to know if they were Self-Lintists, who worship lint only from their own belly buttons, or Any-Lintists, who worship belly-button lint regardless of its source. (The Other-Lintists, who worshiped lint from all sources BUT their own belly buttons, were exterminated in the purges of the 16th Century and need not concern us here.) The Self-Lintists are a little too egotistical for me. That really could affect foreign policy, especially if a foreign dignitary offers his or her own belly-button lint as a gift. S-Ls would be obliged to refuse it, causing an international incident!

For local office, this is less of an issue, of course.

don't forget about the toe-jammists... those filthy false-lintists!

 

[Jeffs0418]

YES.

One of the most important guidelines written into the U.S. Constitution is the separation of Church and State.
I am so sick of religious groups trying to influence the political process. They do so blatantly and still enjoy their tax-exempt status.

Political aspirations and Religious beliefs absolutely do not belong in the same sentence.

An Atheist might actually be able to deal with real world issues without trying to figure out what religion to pander to which would get the most votes. (Who has the bigger god)

 

[sabot3ur]

as long as they're a good candidate who I can agree with, hell yes.

what I'd really love though, is a candidate who can keep their religious beliefs out of our lives, and just do what's best for the country.

 

[Nagash]

I'd have to agree with everyone here. A good candidate should have nothing to do with any particular religion. They should just be a good person, with the ability to do whats best for the people they reside over.

 

[Giovanni]

as long as they're a good candidate who I can agree with, hell yes.

what I'd really love though, is a candidate who can keep their religious beliefs out of our lives, and just do what's best for the country.

Aren't you an Atheist? I was asking religious people this question. I once read somewhere that atheists are the most mistrusted and hated minority in the U.S

Here is something on it.

http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistbigotryprejudice/a/AtheistSurveys.htm

 

[AsianDream]

Even though such a question is common in the United States, it is actually an absurd thought. Men and women are elected (or should be elected) to run their jurisdiction based upon the law -- NOT set moral standards.

And for that reason, I would vote for an atheist, a Baptist, a Jew, or a Muslim. But to tell you the truth, I don't wanna know what they are, because I don't think it's important when it comes to being a successful leader.

I agree

I'm an Atheist but I would vote for someone no matter what their religion (or lack of it) was. I think democracy is very much weakened when people vote on religious lines.

Though almost all the US founding fathers were Christian - they knew that religion and politics don't mix - which is why the US constitution has a strict separation between church and state.

 

[Giovanni]

I agree

I'm an Atheist but I would vote for someone no matter what their religion (or lack of it) was. I think democracy is very much weakened when people vote on religious lines.

Though almost all the US founding fathers were Christian - they knew that religion and politics don't mix - which is why the US constitution has a strict separation between church and state.

I heard they were deists.

 

[Negasta]

I heard they were deists.

From the reading I have done that seems to be correct, especially for Thomas Jefferson, and the "Founders were Christian" schpiel is a lie systematically perpetrated by the American religious right in order to help destroy the secular principals upon which the U.S.A. was founded.

America is unique among the Western nations in the electorate's obsession with the religious beliefs of presidential (and other political) candidates. JFK must be spinning in his grave.

I don't care what my president worships, as long as he/she keeps it out of their political life. ell here in S.A. we don't even really know the religious convictions of most of our leaders.

 

[Giovanni]

From the reading I have done that seems to be correct, especially for Thomas Jefferson, and the "Founders were Christian" schpiel is a lie systematically perpetrated by the American religious right in order to help destroy the secular principals upon which the U.S.A. was founded.

America is unique among the Western nations in the electorate's obsession with the religious beliefs of presidential (and other political) candidates. JFK must be spinning in his grave.

I don't care what my president worships, as long as he/she keeps it out of their political life. ell here in S.A. we don't even really know the religious convictions of most of our leaders.

Paranoid much? And the whole reason a lot of people care about what their president believes in is the risk of the said president having a religious or anti-religious agenda and pushing it on the people.

 

[spiderhead]

Paranoid much? And the whole reason a lot of people care about what their president believes in is the risk of the said president having a religious or anti-religious agenda and pushing it on the people.

He doesn't seem to be paranoid to me, but rather really well researched.

A section from the terms of the treaty of Tripoli, which was drafted under George Washington in 1796 and signed by John Adams in 1797 states:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

Don't get me started on quoting Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin either.