Would you vote for a gay or atheist president?

[J-Mann]

What about the thought of a president who is also a family man with a husband, a couple of [adopted/in vitro/whatever] kids, and the experience of raising a family under his belt?

I think maybe this is implied in my answer, but: no.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Probably very opened minded and knowledgable. 

That infamous opedo happens to be an atheist. Did you read his ant-Christian posts and hear about his idea of feeding Christians to lions? Hmmmm maybe it's just me but I wouldn't call that guy "open minded."

That's opebo.  Open-mindedness leads many people to atheism/agnosticism. 

Bitterness toward life and God and a general distain for man kind leads a lot of people to atheism.

You can be an atheist and not be bitter towards an image of God or life itself. 

Tho, I do see what you are getting at.  I will admit, it wasn't everything, but resentment of certain Christians started me to what I am now (the gay marriage issue and reactions I saw to it where the tipping point for me).  Other things came to light in my mind after, but I can definetely see where you are coming from there. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Why not? I'd be interesting to hear reasoning from a moderate. Would you vote for an agnostic who is not aggressively against religion?

As tough as the choice was to make, it may be even harder to explain adequately.  If all else fails, the quick answer would be, "because that's the way I feel."  Something deeper inside, more akin to PBrunsel's answer, perhaps.  But quick answers don't reveal all, so...here goes:

I have nothing against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people, etc.  I had a gay roommate my freshman year of college, and we're still friends today.  I have several gay friends, too.  I'll fight tooth and nail so that homosexuals are not discriminated against, and have revealed such views at least a few times on this forum.

Still, I'm a big "family values/moral example" kind of voter.  I'm just more comfortable with the thought of a president who is also a family man with a wife, a couple of kids, and the experience of raising a family under his belt.  The president is a representative of the entire American populace, and I think a family-oriented president is better representative of that constituency than is a single gay man or one with a partner.  I think a gay president would have a really hard time being taken seriously - not necessarily by me, but by the public in general.  That's just the way it would probably be.  Assail that logic, if you will, but that's how I'd feel if a homosexual were on the ballot.  I wouldn't vote for him because of personal ideals.

As for the athiest: I think faith is a very important part of a president; very personal (and for the most part should be kept that way), in some respects, but also very important.  Faith gives us hope, and no matter the faith, I think it represents a shred of the president's world view.  I wouldn't limit myself to voting for only a Christian.  Joe Lieberman would probably make a fine president; some Muslims could do alright, too.  The faith shouldn't be too "in-your-face", since we don't want a national preacher, but I want a president who believes in something; namely something greater than himself.

As for the agnostic who isn't hostile to religion: still, no.  Being an agnostic signifies disaffection.  I prefer a president who is upbeat and optimistic.  Holding to a religion is such a strength, where agnoticism looks to me like someone who gives up too easily, whether that's true or not.

So, a person's relgious beliefs should be organized ones; already set in stone?  And agnosticism is a sign of weakness.  Ok, what if I decided I'd stay a Chirstian and just keep believing there is somethin morally wrong with homosexuality, even though I truely felt it was not.  That's not strength, that's blindness. 

To me, there is no such thing as a relgious and anti-religious person.  To me, your religion is what you believe all this is.  Just because someone decides they want their religion to be an already organized faith like Judaism or Hindu....and want mine to be my own observations and view of the world, it doesn't make them more religious. 

[J-Mann]

So, a person's relgious beliefs should be organized ones; already set in stone? 

I'm more comfortable with that, yes.  "Set in stone" is the wrong phrase to describe it though.  I don't mind a bit of fluidity or open-mindedness, but I prefer people with a strong religious core that comes from organization.

And agnosticism is a sign of weakness.

Again, my personal feeling is yes, it is; weakness, disaffection, disillusion, pessimism.  I have a deeper respect for someone who has seriously questioned their faith and come through with a stronger faith foundation for it than someone who becomes disaffected with religion.

Ok, what if I decided I'd stay a Chirstian and just keep believing there is somethin morally wrong with homosexuality, even though I truely felt it was not. That's not strength, that's blindness.

Well, I guess that's up to you.  I'm personally a Christian and don't hold much against homosexuals.  I don't think a gay president would be a shining beacon of hope to America myself, but that doesn't mean I'm out there burning gay people at the stake.  As far as some Christians go, I'm very liberal in my attitudes toward gays, and as far as I'm concerned, that doesn't run counter to my Christian or my Catholic beliefs.

[Lunar]

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I consider myself an agnostic.

A) I don't believe in hell
B) At the point where there's no penalty for me not embracing monotheism, I don't have any motivation to arbitrarily declare that one form of faith (including atheism) is right and all the others are wrong, so why bother?

Result: I don't care if there is a God or not.

Some people get some kind of happiness points if they follow a belief system, but I'm not one of them.

[John Dibble]

And agnosticism is a sign of weakness.

Again, my personal feeling is yes, it is; weakness, disaffection, disillusion, pessimism.  I have a deeper respect for someone who has seriously questioned their faith and come through with a stronger faith foundation for it than someone who becomes disaffected with religion.

I'm an agnostic, yet people find me to be optimistic, strong of character, imaginative, and various other good qualities. Personally, I have faith in people - they can do virtually anything if they'd just put their minds to it.

I don't think one's religious beliefs have anything to do with someone's personal strengths. Some of the weakest people in the world have been religious, atheist, or agnostic - and yet the same can be said for the strongest. What I think is that the truely weak people are those who use their beliefs as a crutch - they brag about being Christian, atheist, agnostic, or whatever. They can't find strength within themselves so they rely on their beliefs to make them feel stronger than they are. Example - an atheist degrades Christians as stupid for believing in a god, but he only does this to cover his own insecurity.

[Math]

naturally/I don't want to know if it's an atheist candidate or not.

[Smash255]

yes/yes

I vote  for people who share my beliefs.  I don't discriminate.  If your white, blac, hispanic, asian, male, female, gay, straight, bi,catholic, protestant, Jewish, indu, Muslim, Atheist  I don't give a crap as long as your beliefs are similar to mine.

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

yes/yes

I vote  for people who share my beliefs.  I don't discriminate.  If your white, blac, hispanic, asian, male, female, gay, straight, bi,catholic, protestant, Jewish, indu, Muslim, Atheist  I don't give a crap as long as your beliefs are similar to mine.

Would you vote for a Opebo type atheist?

[Smash255]

yes/yes

I vote  for people who share my beliefs.  I don't discriminate.  If your white, blac, hispanic, asian, male, female, gay, straight, bi,catholic, protestant, Jewish, indu, Muslim, Atheist  I don't give a crap as long as your beliefs are similar to mine.

Would you vote for a Opebo type atheist?

What you mean someone who wants to destroy religion??  No.  Thats why I mentioned beliefs similar to mine.  Now I do think religion and politics should not mix, but I don't think religion should be destroyed either ( I'm Catholic btw)

[GLOBAL DICTATOR]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

[A18]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

[Cashcow]

Why isn't that?

[GLOBAL DICTATOR]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

[A18]

How is electing an atheist the same thing as "turning away from God?"

[dazzleman]

A gay president - maybe.  As long as the person's sexuality was incidental, and not the primary focus of the campaign.

An atheist - probably not.  I want a president who has a genuine faith in something bigger than himself.

[GLOBAL DICTATOR]

A gay president - maybe.  As long as the person's sexuality was incidental, and not the primary focus of the campaign.

An atheist - probably not.  I want a president who has a genuine faith in something bigger than himself.

AMEN

[phk]

The Rapture is coming

[opebo]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

Please don't.  It is crapola.

[GLOBAL DICTATOR]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

Please don't.  It is crapola.

The Bible is Crapola?

[opebo]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

Please don't.  It is crapola.

The Bible is Crapola?

Correct GD!

[GLOBAL DICTATOR]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

Please don't.  It is crapola.

The Bible is Crapola?

Correct GD!

I can only pray for you. As it stands, if you died now or anytime soon, you'd go to Hell. That makes me sad to see even one soul in Hell.

[opebo]

Of course not / yes

You're an Idiot!

And why is that?

You won't vote for a gay but you'd vote for a bloody Atheist. This nation was built upon the foundations of the Christian Faith. Do you realize that when a nation turns away from the Biblical God, He will take away His Blessing from that land and  His wrath will follow. I'll post the exact verse found in the Bible soon.

Please don't.  It is crapola.

The Bible is Crapola?

Correct GD!

I can only pray for you. As it stands, if you died now or anytime soon, you'd go to Hell. That makes me sad to see even one soul in Hell.

Well, then don't fantasize it that way.  You're making it up - so why not just say 'hell' is that place where the Teletubbies live.

Is that show still in existence?

[J. J.]

Can the appearence of Gary Kah be far behind?  :-)

[bushforever]

Never.  Anyone lacking any inner spirtuality, sexual control, or traditional values is not capable of trusted or strong leadership.