Would a candidate's atheism be a deal-breaker at the polls for you?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/logout?blogid=13&entry_id=14402


Read the story that prompted this column
Stark's atheist views break political taboo
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/14/MNG7BOKV111.DTL

Would a candidate's atheism be a deal-breaker at the polls for you?
Read the story that prompted this column

Tom Turner
Tom Turner, Berkeley

Au contraire. All other things being equal, a declaration of non-belief by
a candidate would be a powerful positive for me. Religion leads some
politicians to do some pretty dreadful things.
Julie Haas
Julie Haas, San Francisco

Yes, because if you don't believe in anything, you will believe anything,
and that's a scary way to govern.
Lynn Thompson
Lynn Thompson, San Francisco

I used to think it mattered. But not since I was 12 years old and growing
up in the Midwest.
Carl Herder
Carl Herder, Pacifica

People of "faith" scare the bejeezus out of me. They are liable to do any
irrational thing they are told to do. I think it would be extremely
refreshing and comforting to have people in charge who do not operate on
faith. Atheism is a big plus in my book.
Rudy Rivers
Rudy Rivers, Castro Valley

I was brought up in the church and still stand by those beliefs.
Congressman Stark's atheism has nothing to do with his character. I have
called on him to help me with several of life's problems, and he responded
well. I voted for him before I knew about his comments, and I would vote
for him again now that I know. He doesn't have to be my clone to do a good
job.
Sam Roth
Sam Roth, Richmond

Since there are so many right- wing religious groups that preach hatred
towards homosexuals and other minority groups, the idea of atheist
politicians is actually pretty appealing to me.
Laura Gonzalez
Laura Gonzalez, Santa Rosa

A candidate's atheism would not bother me, as long as she or he is
respectful of the fact that some people, like myself, are believers. If
the
candidate showed disdain for those who are involved in religion, then I
would certainly not vote for him or her.
Peter Beagle
Peter Beagle, Oakland

I believe it was Anatole France who wrote, "I have never wished there were
a God to pray to -- I have often wished there were a God to thank." I'd
like to thank Something for a candidate with -- for once -- guts enough
not
to mouth the standard election-year pieties that would sicken a wolverine.
Pete Stark can be a pain in the *****, but he's never lacked for courage.
Bravo!
Maria Theren
Maria Theren, Oakland

I'd vote for an atheist as long as I agreed with his or her political
policies. Geez, how could anyone be worse than that evangelical loon we
have in the White House now?
Dianne Boate
Dianne Boate, San Francisco

Well, God is crying, and I can't stand it. All that work for nothing --
trees and flowers, oceans, lakes and rivers, to say nothing of the stars;
not even a proper "thank you." The atheists can scurry for proof, but this
kind of press coverage tells me they don't know even what they are looking
for.
Burt Schmitz
Burt Schmitz, Cupertino

It would suggest he is an independent thinker, right or wrong. Good.
"Spiritualism" itself is rapidly being accepted as a replacement of
dogmatic Christianism among many independently thinking people.
Susan Jackson
Susan Jackson, San Francisco

Thank God there is someone out there who is not a religious nut! Or,
should
I have said, "thank goodness!" I doubt this country will ever have a
separation of church and state; nevertheless, we can hope that one day,
being a religious "right"eous will no longer be such a compelling reason
to
run for office.
Robert Warren Cromey
Robert Warren Cromey, San Francisco

Hooray for Pete Stark. If he tells the truth on this sensitive issue, he
will also tell the truth on others. His values and positions are much more
important than his beliefs.
Terry Miller
Terry Miller, San Francisco

Not at all. I support church and state separation and am alarmed that the
public has forgotten the lessons of history. I consider a candidate's
morals, not her or his religion. I also consider my perception of
sincerity
or hypocrisy, particularly when religion (or lack thereof) is worn on the
sleeve.
Patrice Bennet-Alder
Patrice Bennet-Alder, Daly City

If a candidate states being atheist, or Unitarian Universalist, I see that
as a plus. Their values and priorities come from their own intellect and
conscience, and they have the courage to go up against the Christian
majority. I have been Unitarian Universalist all my life.

Posted By: Heidi Swillinger | Mar 13 at 10:05 PM

There are 81 additional comments for anyone interesdted in reading them.



| Comments (81) : Post Comment

***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:

The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm

American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm

The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html

[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]

HRSepCnS · Historical Reality SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/

***************************************************************
. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why
"a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v.
Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
. . .
****************************************************************
USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote

"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"

That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.

It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.

*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
****************************************************************