Will Americans ever elect an “atheist” president ?

[suzifrommd]

America's best days are long behind it I'm afraid.

Off topic, but I can't let this go unchallenged.

Just a few years ago, two men couldn't marry each other anywhere in the country and neither could serve their country in the armed forces.
Just a few years before that, even a man and a woman couldn't marry in a lot of places if they were different races.
Go back a few more years, and people of color were forced to sit on the back of busses and weren't allowed in a lot of businesses.
Go back a few more years, and women were not even allowed to vote.
A few years before that, it was legal to hold people slaves in this country as long as their skin was the wrong color.

America's best days are NOW.

[Ron]

I Think It's possible because America likes to pull cards vs actually doing something about what's going on. Sell a story to get people  to feel good and  then the atheist president will be a rewind.

[Missy~rmdlm]

It's already been done. It's mostly just politics to state one has a religious affiliation. 

[Alexis2107]

When I was a kid, I wanted to be the president. Some of my most shameful memories are of teachers laughing at me after I said (childishly, sure) that I was going to be the president. Every single effing one of them said you can't do that you're a girl.

I'm an atheist. I don't think that matters. I have great respect for christians and hindus and jews and several other kinds of followers. What they do is good and important. We need to believe powerfully. I believe in the dynamics of cells, blood, light, planets, neurons, etc. That's my faith. Having faith is good.

Nobody ever treated me like I was nothing for being an atheist.

Anyone can become anything if they believe in it and try.  I am Christian and have respect for Atheist too, we all live in this world if we like it or not.  I will never force my beliefs on anyone but will talk openly to anyone interested.  Good people come in all forms, shapes, and sizes :-)

[Ever]

It's pretty obvious to me that Obama is an atheist, and I don't know how transparent it needs to be to have an openly atheist president.  As Machiavelli says, when ruling a people, one should take on their beliefs and values as a robe, including their gods even if you don't believe in them.  So I think we'll have an *openly* atheist president when the majority of people are atheist.

[Tessa James]

Thats funny since so many people are also certain he is a socialist muslim jihadist

[Jill F]

Thats funny since so many people are also certain he is a socialist muslim jihadist

You forgot "from Kenya".

[Cindy]

I've always been amused that most Western nations' Governments start proceedings with prayers and then slag each over off, break electoral promises and proceed to break each of the Ten Commandments!

[Tessa James]

and then they say a nice confession and are forgiven.  Souls are restored and saints be praised

[Jill F]

I've always been amused that most Western nations' Governments start proceedings with prayers and then slag each over off, break electoral promises and proceed to break each of the Ten Commandments!

Maybe that's why so many of them insist on displaying them where they work, as a kind of daily reminder?

Myself, I am definitely guilty of coveting my neighbor's ass.  And her bewbs...  Le sigh.

[Jennifer RachaelAnn]

Taking into consideration that the US was founded on the bible, there is no chance a non-Christian president will ever be elected. The church and the religious right has so much political power there is no way they would allow it. And when you think about it extends beyond the presidency. How many Muslim senators can you name? What about Jewish congressmen? Any Pagan governors? If you can name even one, I would be willing to bet they weren't able to finish their first term in office, not because of the way they ran their politics, but because of their religion.

[AnneK]

Taking into consideration that the US was founded on the bible, there is no chance a non-Christian president will ever be elected. The church and the religious right has so much political power there is no way they would allow it. And when you think about it extends beyond the presidency. How many Muslim senators can you name? What about Jewish congressmen? Any Pagan governors? If you can name even one, I would be willing to bet they weren't able to finish their first term in office, not because of the way they ran their politics, but because of their religion.

My understanding was that the U.S. constitution was written to keep religion out of the government.  I know Thomas Jefferson certainly tried.  As for who's Muslim, Jewish etc., that's not something I generally keep track of, but you may have heard of Bernie Sanders.  He's Jewish, but my take is he has sense enough to not drag religion into politics.  One thing that's absolutely certain is that religion has no place in government.  It tends to bring problems when someone tries to drag it in.

[Paige]

Not in our lifetimes.  I remember when Russ Feingold got a divorce while he was a prominent Senator, it was pretty widely reported because being divorced eliminated him from any future presidential aspirations.

I do find it interesting that this poster from 2014 had the opinion that divorce would preclude someone from getting elected President.  Now there's two time divorcee Donald Trump in the White House.  It's interesting how times change, maybe there is hope for an atheist president.  Maybe there's hope for a transgender President

Paige

[itsApril]

Taking into consideration that the US was founded on the bible, there is no chance a non-Christian president will ever be elected.

I respectfully disagree with your premise!  Even though there are many religious believers here, this is NOT a Christian country.  Please consider the following:

The word "God" does not appear in the U.S. Constitution.  (The Preamble invokes the authority of "We, the People" rather than God.)

"[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."  Article VI, U.S. Constitution, 1787.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." U.S. Constitution, Amendment 1, 1791.

" . . . the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion . . ."  Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, signed into law (with Senate ratification) by President John Adams, 1797.

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."  President Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Danbury Baptist Association, 1802.

"We are teaching the world the great truth that Govts do better without Kings & Nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that Religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of Gov."  James Madison, Letter to Edward Livingston, 1822.

I could go on all day.  But you get the picture.

[Deborah]

Not founded as a Christian nation.

""The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. Although the detail of the formation of the American governments is at present little known or regarded either in Europe or in America, it may hereafter become an object of curiosity. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses."
~John Adams, "A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America" 1787-1788
https://hive.am/kB2nD

However, the truth has never stood in the way of religious fundamentalists' quest to impose their superstitions on everyone else by force.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Devlyn]

Just a matter of time. http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

[brandyvgs]

I would love to see a true atheist president.

[AnneK]

I would love to see a true atheist president.

I would love to see the entire government filled with atheists.

[AnneK]

The word "God" does not appear in the U.S. Constitution.  (The Preamble invokes the authority of "We, the People" rather than God.)

In fact, the line "In God We Trust" was added to currency long after the U.S. was created.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust

[AnneK]

Just a matter of time. http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

That's certainly a favourable trend.