If a presidential candidate admitted they were Atheist would they have any chance of winning?

[Scuba Pete]

People value religious conviction over competence, which is how Bush managed to get elected.

I think Shrub was elected in SPITE of not possessing ANY competence, including religious competence. This was the Republican hate machine going full tilt both times, smearing the other candidate and just spreading lies. They motivated the entire Republican Party to get out and vote... not for Bush, but against those Godless communists trying to ruin our country. They were campaigns focused on FEAR of the Democrats somehow not wanting to go to war in Iraq. Haliburton just couldn't stand for that.

 

[3.14]

if people had to chose between a black guy a woman and an atheist then the atheist would win
if they had to chose between a white guy cristian and a white guy atheist the cristian would win

 

[logician]

If a presidential candidate (not neccessarily in this election, but any) were to be honest about the fact that they did not attend church and/or they were agnostic or atheist, do you think they would have any chance of winning the nomination? My personal feeling is that they would not, but I was curious as to what people thought about that.

No, they would get pilloried in the press.

 

[Sola'lor]

if people had to chose between a black guy a woman and an atheist then the atheist would win
if they had to chose between a white guy cristian and a white guy atheist the cristian would win

What if they had to choose between a black guy, a white woman, and a white male republican. Who would win?

 

[Starfish]

What if they had to choose between a black guy, a white woman, and a white male republican. Who would win?

I truly think our society has reached the point to look beyond race and gender in elections. In a way, the white male is at a disadvantage, because if he wins, DID he win on his merits and credentials, or not?

 

[Magic Man]

I think an atheist could be elected, but he or she would definitely have a much, much bigger hill to climb than a Christian would. And I think that's a sad commentary on our current culture.

 

[Starfish]

I think an atheist could be elected, but he or she would definitely have a much, much bigger hill to climb than a Christian would. And I think that's a sad commentary on our current culture.

I don't see it as sad. Our society is largely Christian. Our founding fathers were Christian. It's only natural that a God-fearing president appeals to the majority of the people.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

IMO the greatest men who ever led, were humble men who knew full well of their own inadequacies. The wisest are they who realize that they are NOT the wisest. They seek out the knowledge of others, before making a decision. They listen, they consider, they ponder. And above all, they seek the guidance of the wisest of all, God. That's the kind of leader I want.

William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister of Canada during World War II, famously sought out the knowledge of others by conducting seances to summon the spirit of his late mother and discussing policy issues with his dead dog, which he had gotten stuffed. Is that the kind of leader you had in mind?

 

[Starfish]

William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister of Canada during World War II, famously sought out the knowledge of others by conducting seances to summon the spirit of his late mother and discussing policy issues with his dead dog, which he had gotten stuffed. Is that the kind of leader you had in mind?

Oh brother.

 

[Magic Man]

I don't see it as sad. Our society is largely Christian. Our founding fathers were Christian. It's only natural that a God-fearing president appeals to the majority of the people.

The sad part is people's prejudice. I am not Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, or any other reigious denomination, but that wouldn't even factor into my decision on who should be president. The only things I'd be concerned with would be their ability to lead our country well, as evidenced by their actions and speech.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I don't see it as sad. Our society is largely Christian. Our founding fathers were Christian. It's only natural that a God-fearing president appeals to the majority of the people.

That's probably an accurate description of what many people think, but it's still awful, IMO.

Do you think a similar line of reasoning based on race would be valid? Why is it valid when based on religion?

Oh brother.

It doesn't seem like his beliefs negatively affected his abilities as a leader; by most measures, he was a good Prime Minister through a difficult period of history. Just as you described, he sought out the guidance of others before making his decisions. What's not to like?

 

[Autodidact]

I truly think our society has reached the point to look beyond race and gender in elections. In a way, the white male is at a disadvantage, because if he wins, DID he win on his merits and credentials, or not?

I guess that' s why so far 100% of the Presidents elected have been white males?

 

[Autodidact]

I don't see it as sad. Our society is largely Christian. Our founding fathers were Christian. It's only natural that a God-fearing president appeals to the majority of the people.

Only if they think that sharing their religious belief is an important criteria for effectively governing the country.

 

[Starfish]

I guess that' s why so far 100% of the Presidents elected have been white males?

And 100% of the losing candidates so far have been white males also.

 

[Magic Man]

And 100% of the losing candidates so far have been white males also.

For the same reason.

 

[Starfish]

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.” George Washington

 

[logician]

I don't see it as sad. Our society is largely Christian. Our founding fathers were Christian. It's only natural that a God-fearing president appeals to the majority of the people.

Our founding fathers were largely deists, with some bordering on atheism. Thomas Paine, maybe not technically a founding father, despised Christianity.

 

[Starfish]

Our founding fathers were largely deists, with some bordering on atheism. Thomas Paine, maybe not technically a founding father, despised Christianity.

No, their Christianity is well established. I have the quotes if you want, but I've already posted them several times. Deism means that they believe that God created the world, then left it unattended. At that point in history, this was true, as far as organized religion was concerned. The true church of Jesus Christ wasn't restored until 1830. But the founding fathers believed in God; no doubt about it.
As for Thomas Paine, he said:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”
“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.” “The Existence of God--1810”

 

[logician]

Thomas Paine

[1737-1809] American writer, an important figure in the American Revolution with his pamphlets like "Common Sense", and "The Crisis".
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of....Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and of my own part, I disbelieve them all." From The Age of Reason, pp. 89

"All natural institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit." The Age of Reason

"Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity." Age of Reason

 

[Starfish]

Thomas Paine

[1737-1809] American writer, an important figure in the American Revolution with his pamphlets like "Common Sense", and "The Crisis".
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of....Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and of my own part, I disbelieve them all." From The Age of Reason, pp. 89

"All natural institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit." The Age of Reason

"Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity." Age of Reason

Exactly! Yet he believed in God. The churches of his day were corrupt, and apparently he recognized that. As I said, the true church wasn't restored until 1830.