Should Religion be a litmus test for Presidents?

Question

What would the forefathers think? Were they all Christians? Were all the early Presidents Christians?

No lawschoolstuff it does not answer the question. It does tell me how John jay felt.

Answer 1

Yes, but not in the way that most people think.

Any politician who says decisions will be made based on religious ideology, or who uses religion to justify political policy making, should be immediately disqualified from office.

The Founders of this country were a mixed group. Many of them were Deists, who believe in God but are NOT Christian. They firmly believe that religion and politics should have nothing to do with one another, which is why the Constitution contains a specific requirement in Article VI prohibiting the use of religious oaths (or other religious litmus tests) for anyone holding political office. As if it weren't enough that the word "God" doesn't appear anywhere in the Constitution.

And the Founders made it quite clear in legislation around the same time that they did NOT consider the USA a Christian nation. The words of the Treaty of Tripoli (1796) directly contradict any claim that it was. Just a handful of years after the Constitution was written, Congress said that "the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion". (Article 11 of the Treaty).

So, since Congress (including the Founders) said it wasn't, anyone who claims 230 years later that it was is mistaken.

Answer 2

You know the answer to your question. Of course all the early presidents where Christians. It was expected. The founding fathers were Christians. The society of the time required it. I'm not even sure the founding fathers considered that the rules they were setting up for their new country would allow people of all belief systems to co-exist within that country.

However, they did set up that system. Times change. We have to deal with current reality and live by the tenets they put into writing, not by what we think their intentions might have been.

Their words on paper support a system in which, theoretically, a presidential candidate's religion, or lack thereof, should not be an issue. Since they are not here to ask, we have to assume that's what they meant to do.

Answer 3

Religion should be kept to religion. To consider a religion as a requisite for presidential consideration is an example of emotional hallucinations. On the other hand any religious candidate should be considered as a dangerous adversary of peace. These superstitions are always the very essence of dictators and psychotic sociopaths. Look at the warring factions of today and you'll find the large percentage of Despots to be religious nuts of some flavor.

Answer 4

No and the Consitution specifically states as such. Here's a bnit from Article VI:

"but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."

Also many early Presidents and Founders were Deists not Christians. For example Jefferson rewrote the Bible taking out the divinity part of Jesus's story, and said ""The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."

Franklin openly doubted Jesus's divinity.

Answer 5

No. Religion has nothing to do with the ability to lead our country. Up until Reagan became president - it was never an issue - except briefly, when JFK was running and the "nervous nellies" were concerned about his Catholicism.

And,of course, our current idiot talks to and gets advice from god personally (god and Karl Rove - now there's a marriage made in heaven, isn't it?)

I don't care if the President worships trees or Tiki gods..... I just want him/her to be competent and will take office in the name of the people - not for personal benefit, or the benefit of friends or special interests.

Answer 6

Religion should be as much of a litmus test for presidents as Shoe Size.

What a person's religous beliefs are DO NOT affect their ability to lead our nation.

Answer 7

No, because the President of America is the main Man who will represent us. America is known as the melting pot country meaning that there are different races that comes with different cultures which comes with different religion. So if we had a president that was not a Christian it should not be a big deal because not everybody in America is Christian.

Answer 8

Absolutely not. If the forefathers wanted it that way the qualifications to be president as spelled out in the constitution would reflect it.

Answer 9

Absolutely not. The forefathers wrote it so there is freedom of religion, and that there be separation of church and state. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up, even congress starts out with a (christian) prayer.

Answer 10

No way should religion be a part of revealing a candidates policy's.