should atheists hold public office?

[Guest shiloh357]

There is no constitutional way we can bar anyone, atheist, Buddhist, Mormon, whatever, from running or holding public office.  We need to get back to voting for the person most qualified for the job they are running for.    When we make emotional decisions on political matters  and not based on actual qualifications, past records and experience, we end up with people like Obama in office. 

 

Many Christians didn't vote in the general elections in 2012 because they didn't want a Mormon in office.  But we are not electing a pastor;  we are electing a president and Romney was immensely more qualified than Obama to hold the office of president.

[Guest LadyC]

exactly!

[1x1is1]

One problem with this is.....how do we know for sure if a candidate is an athiest or not.  We now have a president that will say what ever is necessary to what ever group may be in front of him. Then go to the next town and say just the oposite to the new crowd.  How do we know for sure what is the truth with this fellow?  He says that he is Christian, but you know how he flip floped on gay marriage and abortions issues.

 

The same thing goes for any other person that runs for public office.  It is easy to decieve people when you tell them what they want to hear.  Analyzing past performaces will bring you closest to the truth about them.  Qualifications do matter.  Just do your home work on them. And of course pray.

 

I would vote for an athiest if it meant keeping another candidate that was less qualified from gaining the same position.  I did vote for Romney in 2012.

[Guest shiloh357]

Would it be politically expedient to admit publicly that one is an atheist?   In a country that has strong Christian leanings, that might not be the wisest thing for a person to do.  While an atheist as the right to run for public office, would they get elected?

 

A candidate's religion is going to come up and it will much, much harder for a public candidate to fake a religion.  Their atheism would come to top in any line of questioning on the matter. 

 

is the US ready for an atheist president? 

[ayin jade]

Would it be politically expedient to admit publicly that one is an atheist?   In a country that has strong Christian leanings, that might be the wisest thing for a person to do.  While an atheist as the right to run for public office, would they get elected?

 

A candidate's religion is going to come up and it will much, much harder for a public candidate to fake a religion.  Their atheism would come to top in any line of questioning on the matter. 

 

is the US ready for an atheist president? 

 

Chances are we already had one who never admitted it.

[other one]

they should be allowed to run for office, but no one should vote for them....

[Tinky]

I think the Founding Fathers would have been opposed to an atheist holding public office.

 

Benjamin Franklin once said: "If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it?" - Letter To Thomas Paine

[The_Patriot21]

I think the Founding Fathers would have been opposed to an atheist holding public office.

 

Benjamin Franklin once said: "If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it?" - Letter To Thomas Paine

 

while I dont think any of them would have voted for one, they would not, and could not, be opposed-the very system they setup, allows it, by definition. Now, if the country is in such dire shape that they would vote in such a man-which, right now it is, they would definetly role over in their graves and wonder what they did wrong, but they wernt opposed or they wouldn't have set up the system the way they did.

[shoes_untied]

If you would not vote for them, do you vote for folks who do not hold Christian views but hold other religious views?

 

I dont think too many politicians are believers.

 

I agree though that it is not right to deny them the right to hold office. 

 

I would vote for someone who is not a Christian but who upholds Judeo-Christian values.  I voted for Romney even though it is hard for me to believe that people still believe the story of Mormanism in this day and age.  I think that many politicians align themselves with Christianity for political purposes but probably don't have a real deep faith.  However, in the reformed church tradition, following people like Abraham Kuyper, getting involved in things like politics is considered important so that does drive a number of people of faith to politics.

[Tinky]

 

I think the Founding Fathers would have been opposed to an atheist holding public office.

 

Benjamin Franklin once said: "If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it?" - Letter To Thomas Paine

 

while I dont think any of them would have voted for one, they would not, and could not, be opposed-the very system they setup, allows it, by definition. Now, if the country is in such dire shape that they would vote in such a man-which, right now it is, they would definetly role over in their graves and wonder what they did wrong, but they wernt opposed or they wouldn't have set up the system the way they did.

 

 

 

I could never trust an atheist to do what was morally right. 

 

Ephesians 4:17-19 says there are "futile in their thinking", "darkened in their understanding", and have "given themselves over to every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more."

 

And Titus 1:15 says their "minds and consciences are corrupted."

 

Psalm 53:1 says not only are they corrupt, but "vile."

 

1 Corinthians 16:22 calls them "accursed."

 

Why would anyone, other than the lost, want them to govern over them?