are so forgiving?
George H.W. Bush said he didn't think atheists should be considered US citizens. Aren't you glad he was merciful, and didn't have you deported out of our great democracy?
2007-09-19 08:44:02 · 31 answers · asked by Pull My Finger 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A million thanks to Pangel for the link. I saw it on a documentary and I should have had the foresight to back it up when I asked the question. Yep, he said it. What a weenie. It's not that I expected much from Bush Sr., but his contempt for freedom actually pained me.
2007-09-19 08:58:08 · update #1
Thanks to TriciaG28 as well for the full quote, and the interview with Ed Murnane, which I was unaware of.
2007-09-19 09:11:27 · update #2
"Did George Bush really say that atheists should not be considered citizens?"
The following exchange took place at the Chicago airport between Robert I. Sherman of American Atheist Press and George Bush, on August 27 1987. Sherman is a fully accredited reporter, and was present by invitation as a member of the press corps. The Republican presidential nominee was there to announce federal disaster relief for Illinois. The discussion turned to the presidential primary:
RS:
"What will you do to win the votes of Americans who are atheists?"
GB:
"I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me."
RS:
"Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?"
GB:
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
RS:
"Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?"
GB:
"Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists."
UPI reported on May 8, 1989, that various atheist organizations were still angry over the remarks.
The exchange appeared in the Boulder Daily Camera on Monday February 27, 1989. It can also be found in "Free Inquiry" magazine, Fall 1988 issue, Volume 8, Number 4, page 16.
On October 29, 1988, Mr. Sherman had a confrontation with Ed Murnane, co-chairman of the Bush-Quayle '88 Illinois campaign. This concerned a lawsuit Mr. Sherman had filed to stop the Community Consolidated School District 21 (Chicago, Illinois) from forcing his first-grade atheist son to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States as "one nation under God" (Bush's phrase). The following conversation took place:
RS:
"American Atheists filed the Pledge of Allegiance lawsuit yesterday. Does the Bush campaign have an official response to this filing?"
EM:
"It's bullshit."
RS:
"What is bullshit?"
EM:
"Everything that American Atheists does, Rob, is bullshit."
RS:
"Thank you for telling me what the official position of the Bush campaign is on this issue."
EM:
"You're welcome."
After Bush's election, American Atheists wrote to Bush asking him to retract his statement. On February 21st 1989, C. Boyden Gray, Counsel to the President, replied on White House stationery that Bush substantively stood by his original statement, and wrote:
"As you are aware, the President is a religious man who neither supports atheism nor believes that atheism should be unnecessarily encouraged or supported by the government."
For further information, contact American Atheist Veterans at the American Atheist Press's Cameron Road address.
2007-09-19 08:53:26 · answer #1 · answered by TriciaG28 (Bean na h-Éireann) 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bush, the most wonderful president in history. Bright guy. I am sure he's wire tapped me a few times. I forgive him for not telling my girlfriend about what I said over the phone.
2007-09-19 15:51:56 · answer #2 · answered by Earl Grey 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
George bush has the intelligence of a pickled onion.
2007-09-19 15:52:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why aren't Atheists US Citizens? Gosh , I agree that isn't much merciful. They have a right to be here if they are Born here.
2007-09-19 15:54:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was unaware of that exchange... I'm not sure which is more scary... that the president said that, or that a good percentage of americans agree
P.S... that actually did happen, I checked it out
2007-09-19 15:53:29 · answer #5 · answered by vérité 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here's a reference to the source people are asking for:
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/mathew/arguments.html#bush
2007-09-19 15:53:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian. And even I wouldnt want the Athiest deported out of my Country.
Only God can Judge.
2007-09-19 15:47:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Is George Bush a Christian? We know Christians by the way they live and by their testimonial... Christians have their lives based on the Word of God The Lord!
Is Bush one of us, is he a Christian??
2007-09-19 15:50:29 · answer #8 · answered by Desir D 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, like that bill would have ever made it past congress. I'm still wondering how we ended up with a president that can't pronounce the word "nuclear".
2007-09-19 15:50:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
G. Bush id the lord & savior to all the losers that put him in office. He is a loser that should be fired from his job . PERIOD .
2007-09-19 16:44:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋