Could an atheist or person w/no religon be elected president in this country?

[??????????]

Yes it was rather common. Most of this religious renewal we have now was due to the Post-Prohibition era. Well in this country at least.

[© Tweed the Younger]

No.  My atheism would be one of the many reasons I'd be hard pressed to get 35% in a national election.

[TexasGurl]

an athiest couldn't be elected president nowadays.
hard enough for a non protestant.

[HockeyDude]

So you believe in absolutely no creator. When you die everything goes black. The end. You are in a small minority, and being as 90% of Americans express a belief in God, I do not see an atheist being president anytime soon.

No, I think your soul goes off somewhere.  I believe we are all born with a life energy, or soul.  Is it created by a god? IMO, no.  

And I think its an advantage to a person to not hold any religious convictions in public office.  He'd have no beliefs to be swayed by, unlike Bush who pisses off atheists, agnostics, and non-Christians.  

It would change the country for the better. People would see that just cause a preson is not religious doesn't mean they are an ammoral anarchist.  I'm not.  

[Siege40]

I think the connection is that anyone is making here is that people of the uncommon faith, or a person of atheistic beliefs can be elected, they just can't be very strict about it.

This reminds me of the Conservative Leadership Convention, Harper, at the end of his victory speech said, "God Bless Canada." The audiance and the media seemed to pause and say, "huh?" That phrase is not common in Canada, and is rarely said like that. That drew a parody with America. As long as a President didn't say something like, "I refuse to say God Bless America," than he should be ok. Flaunting your unpopular beliefs can get you in trouble. As long as the President, as previous president have done then they could win easily.

Siege

[ilikeverin]

When you die everything goes black. The end.

Exactly why I'm never going to consider being an atheist.  I'd like an afterlife, thanks.

[Siege40]

When you die everything goes black. The end.

Exactly why I'm never going to consider being an atheist.  I'd like an afterlife, thanks.

Ya, it sucks, but that's what I think will happen once I die, it all goes dark, my family throws me in the dirt, I rot and that's it. Depressing maybe but it reinforces the idea of living life to its fullest.

Siege

[MHS2002]

I don't think an atheist could be elected President anytime soon...especially here in the South.

[HockeyDude]

I think the connection is that anyone is making here is that people of the uncommon faith, or a person of atheistic beliefs can be elected, they just can't be very strict about it.

This reminds me of the Conservative Leadership Convention, Harper, at the end of his victory speech said, "God Bless Canada." The audiance and the media seemed to pause and say, "huh?" That phrase is not common in Canada, and is rarely said like that. That drew a parody with America. As long as a President didn't say something like, "I refuse to say God Bless America," than he should be ok. Flaunting your unpopular beliefs can get you in trouble. As long as the President, as previous president have done then they could win easily.

Siege

I wouldn't say "I refuse to say God Bless America" I just wouldn't say it.  

[Siege40]

I think the connection is that anyone is making here is that people of the uncommon faith, or a person of atheistic beliefs can be elected, they just can't be very strict about it.

This reminds me of the Conservative Leadership Convention, Harper, at the end of his victory speech said, "God Bless Canada." The audiance and the media seemed to pause and say, "huh?" That phrase is not common in Canada, and is rarely said like that. That drew a parody with America. As long as a President didn't say something like, "I refuse to say God Bless America," than he should be ok. Flaunting your unpopular beliefs can get you in trouble. As long as the President, as previous president have done then they could win easily.

Siege

I wouldn't say "I refuse to say God Bless America" I just wouldn't say it.  

People would notice, they always notice.

Siege

[migrendel]

Does America need God's blessing as frequently as it gets? With all the stuff our President pulls, I would be inclined to say yes, but look at where it gets us.

[HockeyDude]

I think the connection is that anyone is making here is that people of the uncommon faith, or a person of atheistic beliefs can be elected, they just can't be very strict about it.

This reminds me of the Conservative Leadership Convention, Harper, at the end of his victory speech said, "God Bless Canada." The audiance and the media seemed to pause and say, "huh?" That phrase is not common in Canada, and is rarely said like that. That drew a parody with America. As long as a President didn't say something like, "I refuse to say God Bless America," than he should be ok. Flaunting your unpopular beliefs can get you in trouble. As long as the President, as previous president have done then they could win easily.

Siege

I wouldn't say "I refuse to say God Bless America" I just wouldn't say it.  

People would notice, they always notice.

Siege

Howard Dean never said it.....you notice?  

[nclib]

I'm non-religious and, sadly, I think that it is highly unlikely that an atheist/agnostic will be President in the near future.

I found this list of people in Congress who are not affiliated with a major religion:

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-HI
Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-WI
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-OR
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-CO
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-CA
Rep. John W. Olver, D-MA
Rep. John F. Tierney, D-MA
Rep. Mark Udall, D-CO

[Huckleberry Finn]

I think the connection is that anyone is making here is that people of the uncommon faith, or a person of atheistic beliefs can be elected, they just can't be very strict about it.

This reminds me of the Conservative Leadership Convention, Harper, at the end of his victory speech said, "God Bless Canada." The audiance and the media seemed to pause and say, "huh?" That phrase is not common in Canada, and is rarely said like that. That drew a parody with America. As long as a President didn't say something like, "I refuse to say God Bless America," than he should be ok. Flaunting your unpopular beliefs can get you in trouble. As long as the President, as previous president have done then they could win easily.

Siege

I wouldn't say "I refuse to say God Bless America" I just wouldn't say it.  

People would notice, they always notice.

Siege

Howard Dean never said it.....you notice?  

And he thought that he could have won election without saying it! What a jerk! Dean really lives in leftist fantasy land.

[migrendel]

Isn't it interesting that with the exception of Campbell, all of them are progressives? I suppose only liberal and tolerant communities will elect non-religious people.

[migrendel]

Also, I believe that Zoe Lofgren is a Lutheran, Mark Udall is a Mormon, and Ben Campbell is a non-aligned Christian.

[Sibboleth]

Isn't it interesting that with the exception of Campbell, all of them are progressives? I suppose only liberal and tolerant communities will elect non-religious people.

A lot of bigots in France are atheist

[migrendel]

I wasn't aware.

[Sibboleth]

I wasn't aware.

Of course it's impossible to tell for sure in France as no one is meant to ask for religious info... but there is a lot of bigotry in France... enforced secularism is a really, really bad idea...
Lionel Jospin is a Protestant, BTW