"SEVERAL POLLS indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black, Muslim or homosexual is not). According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 37% of Americans would vote for an otherwise qualified atheist for president.
Atheists are often imagined to be intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the supernatural."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-harris24dec24,0,3994298.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail
Why is it that atheists are considered to be unfit for presidency?
Is this a gut feeling? Or are there actually defendable reasons?
2006-12-29 08:55:30 · 10 answers · asked by FaZizzle 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The Christians have been slandering atheists for years blaming them for getting prayer out of schools.
These people are too lazy to look up the court cases on the subject and find out that it was a catholic family that started that particular line of lawsuits.
Atheists are very fit to become president, most of our founding fathers were what we call atheist.
In fact if you do your homework you will find that all but two of the people that signed the Declaration of Independence were what we now call atheists.
The term atheist did not exist at the time, back then the term was Deist.
2006-12-29 08:59:26 · answer #1 · answered by sprcpt 6 · 6⤊ 2⤋
Wow, that's nuts. I'd have no issue voting for an atheist, and I'm a conservative Christian. Just as long as they weren't "intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the supernatural."
2006-12-29 09:12:57 · answer #2 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's odd. I wonder if those are honest polls or slanted polls. I am no atheist, but I would far rather see an otherwise conservative atheist as President than any Democrat of whatever faith, color, or orientation!
By the way, up top there, you are dead wrong in re-defining Deist as atheist. world of difference. Deist does acknowledge the existence of God, just not necessarily as is taught in a specific church. Most of those Framers were Freemasons, and Freemasonry specifically requires the belief in God to belong.
2006-12-29 09:00:10 · answer #3 · answered by ? 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because a lot of folks confuse religious devotion with morality. To them, atheism appears to be some kind of character defect that autmatically renders the atheist unfit for any kind of leadership position. Sad but true.
It should be very apparent that most people are uneasy with, intolerant of, or even downright hostile towards others whose beliefs on the fundamental organisation of the universe differs from their own. Religion, because it is so overarching and essentially rooted in irrational, non-quantitative precepts is especially apt to produce this kind of reaction. At some level, the existance of the "non-believer" or "different believer" is a threat to the validity of the subject's system of beliefs. And what do most of us do when threatened? We lash out and try to destroy the threat. Atheists, because they refuse to accept any established spiritual dogma, are viewed as a threat by ALL established dogmas. This is obvioulsy a political liability in a country as "churchy" as the US.
2006-12-29 09:12:15 · answer #4 · answered by brypri 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
sure, an atheist can replace into president. the authentic question inspite of the fact it somewhat is can he carry sufficient votes to get there. the rationalization some human beings vote on non secular ideals is using the fact if that individual is who they say they're, then that individual vote casting for them will comprehend how they are going to stand on specific themes.
2016-10-19 04:36:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would vote for an atheist before voting for someone who believes in the ridiculous notion of an all mighty Deity
2006-12-29 09:03:17 · answer #6 · answered by Az Rastaman 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
i think it'z cause ppl nowadays are so obssessed with religion that if they hear that sum1 is an atheist..they'll instantly think..this person must be morally corrupted and does not have a life because he does not accept the existence of god.
2006-12-29 09:02:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
When atheists hear voices telling them to start wars, that means they are crazy.
2006-12-29 08:57:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
An atheist president would have no allegiance to the "beast," which is the American religious right.
2006-12-29 09:03:58 · answer #9 · answered by Jackson Leslie 5 · 6⤊ 2⤋
People generally equate atheists as people without integrity.
2006-12-29 08:57:10 · answer #10 · answered by Tofu Jesus 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋