Is it true that if we elect a Baptist president, we might as well hand over America to the Baptists?

Question

I asked a question about electing a Muslim president and got the response, "If we elect a Muslim president, we might as well hand over the country to the Muslims." I just want to see if the analogy holds for other religions.

WZJP: I hope you realize that I'm being sarcastic here.

BIG DADDY: Why do Southern Baptists refuse to have sex standing up? Someone might think that they're dancing!

HUGH N KRY: If only George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had been "baptised" this way!

BLACKMULE: After reading your post, I've been walking around saying "gurble gurble" all day, just because I like the sound of it.

Answer 1

Yes. And they will drown all the babies in fumbled attempts to bring them into the fold...

Good question!

Answer 2

Obviously, most people do not know about the structures of religion.

Some religions, such as Baptist, Islam, Quakers, etc. are very decentralized. To the extent that they have associations above the local congregation, those are mostly voluntary associations, and a local congregation is free to leave (or be kicked out by the other local congregations) at any time. Religious leaders in this group are merely highly respected pastors, but they do not have any authority except over property owned by the association (which in some cases includes seminaries and universities). As such, a religious opinion expressed by these leaders is merely entitled to the consideration that the faithful would give to any statement by an esteemed minister.

Other religions have a more heirarchical structure -- chiefly the Roman Catholic Church, but also the Lutheran Church, the Anglican Communion, the Mormons, and the Orthodox Communion. In these religions, power and authority vests at a higher level than the local congregation. Under the doctrines of these religions, the opinons of the leadership on matters of religion and morality are entitled to somewhat more weight than it is in a congregational type church.

Needless to say, with any religion, the mere fact that a person is a member of that religion does not say that much about the actual beliefs of that person. Nor does it mean that the country is being turned over to all members of that religion. More important is knowing which leaders in the religion that person follows most closely (if any, as there are lots of people who go to church on the sabath and then pay their religion no attention the other six days of the week).

I would note that all of the candidates who are currently running for President belong to one or another denomination that classifies itself as Christian.

Answer 3

They said that Kennedy would hand the country to the Vatican and that didn't happen. Obviously we have had Baptist Presidents in the past and we were not turned over to the Baptist Church. Because of our practice of separation of church and state the religious beliefs of the President or any particular member of Congress is not really important.

In case you are interested here are the religious beliefs of Congress, summarized without names but quantity.

Congressional Religion

Senate
Methodist 13
Congregationalist 2
Episcopal 9
Catholic 25
Jewish 13
Mormon 5
Christian 5
Presbyterian 9
United Church of Christ 2
Protestant 4
Unitarian 1
Lutheran 3
Baptist 6
Church of Christ 1
Southern Baptist 1
Greek Orthodox 1


House of Representatives Religion
Not stated 10
Jewish 31
Congregationalist 2
Christian 26
Baptist 57
Protestant 19
Catholic 130
Episcopal 26
Lutheran 14
Methodist 45
7th Day Adventist 2
Serbian Orthodox 1
Greek Orthodox 3
Mormon 11
Presbyterian 32
Community of Christ 1
Southern Baptist 2
Moravian 1
African Methodist Episcopal 3
Assembly of God 2
Christian Science 5
United Church of Christ 1
Christian Reformed 1
Islam 1
Buddhist 2
Reformed Church of America 1
Church of the Nazarene 1
Church of Christ 1
Desciples of Christ 2
Evangelical 1
Atheist 1
United Brethren Church 1

Answer 4

No... I am not worried about religious presidents just as long as they do not bring religion to their job. We have lots of checks and balances in our country and a president would have to appoint a cabinet... now if he appointed only Baptists I think that this would raise a lot of eye brows in the Congressional confirmation hearings.

I'm not worried by it. I might be irritated anytime I think he plays the "God" card though... and people that use God to legislate or veto legislation pisses me off but this is the process of a democracy.

Answer 5

If you elect a Baptist, we will dunk every one of you. We will hold you under until all you can say is gurble-gurble, and when you come back up you will be born into the republican party. What a glorious time that will be.

Answer 6

I would hope that no matter what the religion of a president that his religious belief do not make a difference to how he or she is president.

It is fine to be religious and a member of a religious community, but when you are president you stop living your public life for yourself.. yo now live it for the needs and wants of the population you represent. Too many forget this.

Answer 7

Did we turn the country over to the Catholics when JFK won?

Answer 8

If we do, let's make sure it is a southern baptist.

Answer 9

I dont remeber the Baptists flying planes into buildings......

Answer 10

you bet ye.