Posted: Jan 12, 2013 6:24 pm
willhud9 wrote:The better question is not whether the US is grown up enough to elect an atheist president, but when will the US be grown up enough not to give credence to religious belief as a deciding factor for the candidacy. I mean I would rather have a competent president whom is an evangelical Christian, than an incompetent one whom is a neo-atheist, and vice verse. (whoops didn't finish thought).
Being an atheist doesn't mean you are a better candidate.
Any candidate who dared to declare his non-belief, would certainly be displaying unprecedented levels of honesty, so that would (IMO) make him a "better candidate".
Unfortunately, in a country where some 70% (?) of the population are believers, it would be 'political suicide', politicians will always 'play the numbers'.
Those people (believers) are looking for validation of their beliefs, and subscribe to religion(s) for sociological reasons. (IMO) Centuries of (successful) 'spin' and propaganda by religions, have resulted in the majority still viewing 'belonging', as a 'badge of goodness' (despite all of the evidence to the contrary).
I always thought it strange that a (unashamedly capitalist) country which is still so (publicly) infatuated with "christianity", yet any forms of 'social welfare' or health care, are viewed as some sort of "communist plot", while simultaneously (supposedly) embracing "christianity", which is basically a socialist doctrine.
I'd love to see any politician trying to use his/her political skills to persuade the majority (in the US) that religion is really not necessary.
-But without churches, synagogues, or mosques, where would people go, to publicly display their "goodness" once a week..?
I think that in order to stand a chance of achieving the eventual extinction of old superstitions and religions, atheism needs to find a way to 'fill that void'. (Because I think that the vast majority will continue to remain 'stupid', for the foreseeable future)
Hence the swearing on the proverbial 'stack of bibles'.
Most people still believe in such rituals.
