Will ANY NON-CHRISTIAN Ever Be Elected President?

[DistressedAmerican]

I am so annoyed every time I hear politicians stand up and make the obligatory statements about their faith being very important to them. Not because I have anything against that but, because non-christians are virtually locked out of mainstream politics. That's us atheists and anyone of a different faith. We're all virtually locked our of government in our supposedly pluralistic Society.

The issue has become even more of a thorn in my side since Bush crawled out of his freaking ultra-right, Christian conservative swamp.

Personally I'm waiting on America's first Rastafarian president!

So, do you think we will ever become secular enough in this country to consider electing an atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, ANY NON-CHRISTIAN? Will it be in our lifetimes?

[GOPFighter]

1. Yes they will!

When pigs fly!

:silly:

[seg4527]

2. Already Happened

Thomas Jefferson at least. I believe Madison too. Lincoln. There have been lots of non-christian presidents, especially early on. But the history books distor them. Notice that in the constitution there is no mention of God, and in the Declaration, it only refers to god as our creator, which is what a Deist such as Jefferson believed about god. Jefferson has some anti-christian quotes on record.

[DistressedAmerican]

6. Yeah, The Folks Shouting "The Founding Fathers!" Never Recall That!

I Love TJ!

[eShirl]

3. wasn't Thomas Jefferson a Deist?

I must read up on him soon.

edit: I'm an echo!

[spanone]

4. I think looking forward NO. We are a theocratic democracy.

With bush* pouring federal money into 'faith based' programs he is insuring that church and state will only mingle more.

[CatholicEdHead]

5. Doubtful a Catholic could even be one again

since the definition of "Christian" is usually some type of Protostant flavor, and many of the anti-Catholic tones are still in the current ultra-conservative movement. They pay lip service to Catholics, but it will be hard to have another John F Kennedy get into the White House.

[DistressedAmerican]

7. That's very true. Not just Christian! Protestant (or Southern Baptist)

[forgethell]

9. Southern Baptists

are Protestant.

[DistressedAmerican]

17. I DID Realize that. Maybe I Should Have Said Especially Southern Baptist.

[forgethell]

21. Isn't *

a Methodist? Clinton was Southern Baptist, but then he was one of ours, so it's alright. So was Jimmy Carter, although he has since cut his ties to the Southern Baptist Convention. I don't know what LBJ was, but I don't think it was Baptist of any sort. Nixon was a Quaker, I believe. I don't know about Ford, either, except he wasn't a Baptist. Ronald Reagan was not a Baptist. George 1 is Epicopalian, I think. So, especially Southern Baptist? Those have been ours. What's your beef?

[CatholicEdHead]

26. Southern Baptist Convention

seems to be the biggest problem in that they are so politically motivated and are more political than religous.

It is possible to be a Southern Baptist and not be part of the SBC?

[forgethell]

27. No, it's not.

Although, the moderates that were formerly part of the SBC formend the Southern Baptist Alliance, so I guess you could say they could. However, some churches are members of both, I believe. At any rate, there is nothing that would prevent that.

However, disregarding their positions on the issues, why is their political participation unacceptable while that of the various black Baptist conventions is not?

And it is ridiculous to say that Southern Baptists are more political than religious. They are a church.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

8. That's true-there's a lot of anti-Catholic bigotry among Evangelicals

and they are the dominant force in politics these days. Have you ever been prosletyzed by one of these whackjobs? They think Catholics are going to hell.

[CatholicEdHead]

10. Yet they suck up to them

with the "pro-life movement". Many lay "Catholic" media orginzations (Relvant Radio, Ave Maria Radio, EWTN) are full of later in life fundie "born-again" converts, which if you listen or watch even a few minutes comes across as more "born-again" theology than traditional Catholic theology. It is a trojan horse approach in my eyes.

They are subtly getting support trying to get converts.

[Stop_the_War]

11. Lincoln was non-religious, and many of the founding fathers were deists...

[Ilsa]

12. I consider W* a non-Christian.

But I know what you mean. I think it could happen if people feel like things are so bad that they are more interested in voting for their pocketbooks no matter what a person's religious connections are. (Apologies for my sloppy grammar.)

[IndyPriest]

23. LMAO! RIght on, Ilsa! n/t

[Stop_the_War]

13. Five U.S. presidents were Unitarian Universalists...

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore and William Taft

[DieboldMustDie]

15. There were no Unitarian-Universalists until 1961.

Before that they were separate denominations. :shrug:

[DadNascar5]

14. Nope

[Stop_the_War]

16. why exactly?

[Pegleg Thd]

18. As long as there is a single

baptist war monger or methudist alive the rest of us are screwed!!!!!

[DistressedAmerican]

19. As much as I hate these folks,

Alive is a pretty harsh standard. How about imprisoned?

It is their numbers and clout that bothers me. How about we just reduce their numbers to a manageable size. Restricted breeding? Cull the herd as it were.

[forgethell]

22. Facism, you mean?

Nazism? this is a progressive plan?

[Coastie for Truth]

20. NO!!

I think Lieberman cost Gore the 2000 election.

I think either Boxer or Feingold would drag the Democrats down to defeat in 2008.

While we have "establishment" and "free exercise" clauses in our First Amendment -- the White Caucasian Eurocentric Protestants will never vote for anyone who is "different."

I am Jewish - and I will never see a Jewish President of the US - notwithstanding Disraeli in England and Mendes-France in France -- and even Judah Benjamin's position in the Confederacy.

[Dr Ron]

24. Did Lieberman cost Gore the election?

A majority of people did vote for the ticket with Lieberman on it. Simply take away the butterfly ballot problem in Florida, where many votes intended for Gore Liberman in Jewish areas went to Buchanan, and they would have won.

I don't think that a Jewish VP candidate hurt Gore. That doesn't answer the question of whether a Jewish candidate at the top of the ticket could have won.

[DistressedAmerican]

25. Frankly, that race was so close anyone can cherry pick

an issue that may have cost us the election.

It is like Puff Daddy Saying before the election that the youth WOULB BE the margin of victory. In a close race EVERY block of votes (or non-votes) can be the margin of victory or defeat.

However, It certainly wasn't a big selling point for a lot of bigoted Americans.

[forgethell]

28. Huh?

White Caucasian Eurocentric Protestants will never vote for anyone who is "different.".

This is a pretty broad statement. Of course, you have the qualifier "Eurocentric". But most Jews in the USA are "Euro". I think you're wrong and would like to see some evidence for your opinion.