How important is a candidates connection with GOD...

[Bindare_Dundat]

..when you vote?

Are you a person that needs to have a president that believes in God or would you vote for an athiest if the rest of their policies agreed with you?

[calmus]

WTF is a canidate?

Some kind of dog? 

[Bindare_Dundat]

candidate.

Happy? 

So how important is it to you, you spellchecking son of a bitch?

[calmus]

I don't give a shit about their connections to God, you daffy c un t.

[stormshadow]

candidate.

Happy? 

So how important is it to you, you spellchecking son of a bitch?

Are you implying that the mighty "calmus" also takes it in the ass?

[Camel Jockey]

They shouldn't have a connection with something that doesn't exist.

[Dos Equis]

..when you vote?

Are you a person that needs to have a president that believes in God or would you vote for an athiest if the rest of their policies agreed with you?

Would never vote for an atheist.  I doubt most Americans would.  They're the least trusted group in America.

Here is something from earlier in the campaign season:

A national telephone survey released earlier this year by the Pew Research Center asked which traits, including being black, a woman, a Mormon, a Muslim, or a homosexual, would help or hurt a candidate the most. The worst trait for a candidate to possess? “Doesn’t believe in God.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/weekinreview/22luo.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin

[Bindare_Dundat]

A national telephone survey released earlier this year by the Pew Research Center asked which traits, including being black, a woman, a Mormon, a Muslim, or a homosexual, would help or hurt a candidate the most. The worst trait for a candidate to possess? “Doesn’t believe in God.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/weekinreview/22luo.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin

I find that frightening.

What is it about an athiest that makes you distrust them so much?

[MisterMagoo]

Would never vote for an atheist.  I doubt most Americans would.  They're the least trusted group in America.

Here is something from earlier in the campaign season:

A national telephone survey released earlier this year by the Pew Research Center asked which traits, including being black, a woman, a Mormon, a Muslim, or a homosexual, would help or hurt a candidate the most. The worst trait for a candidate to possess? “Doesn’t believe in God.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/weekinreview/22luo.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin

it looks like you're using that poll as evidence for why you don't vote for atheists, as though the public perception of them is indicative of an actual problem.

if anything, that poll should be horridly depressing, since it's further evidence that, globally, the united states is tragically behind the rest of the world in letting go of making the USA into "god's country". it's no coincidence that, time and time again, the most religious nations have been the least educated and most barbaric. right now the US is right in the middle of the theocratic middle east and the progressive europe. let's try and move in the right direction.

[Dos Equis]

I find that frightening.

What is it about an athiest that makes you distrust them so much?

I didn't say I distrust them.  I said I wouldn't vote for them.  I said most Americans don't trust them (at least that's what I meant).  Most of the atheists I know are good people.  I just wouldn't want them leading the country. 

Here is the basis for my statement that most Americans distrust atheists:

March 24, 2006

Survey: U.S. trust lowest for atheists
By Jeannine Aquino

Atheists are America's least trusted group, according to a national survey conducted by University sociology researchers.
 
Based on a telephone survey of more than 2,000 households and in-depth interviews with more than 140 people, researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, homosexuals and other groups as "sharing their vision of American society." Americans are also least willing to let their children marry atheists.

. . . .

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/03/24/67686

[Dos Equis]

it looks like you're using that poll as evidence for why you don't vote for atheists, as though the public perception of them is indicative of an actual problem.

if anything, that poll should be horridly depressing, since it's further evidence that, globally, the united states is tragically behind the rest of the world in letting go of making the USA into "god's country". it's no coincidence that, time and time again, the most religious nations have been the least educated and most barbaric. right now the US is right in the middle of the theocratic middle east and the progressive europe. let's try and move in the right direction.

I don't need a poll to tell me not to vote for an atheist.  I'm unaware of any atheist ever being a serious candidate for public office in Hawaii, for Congress or Senate from Hawaii, or for president. 

This is, always has been, and likely always will be a very religious country.  About 90 percent of the adults in this country believe in God.  If anything, you can draw a correlation between that and the fact we are the biggest, “baddest” kid on the block.  Large segments of the world are dying to move here, because as BerzerkFury said in another post today, it's the "Best country on Earth."

[MisterMagoo]

you might want to do a little checking up on your "facts" there, cap-i-tan. you're a little off. on all counts, from "always been a religious country" (founded by staunch secularists, "god" wasn't on money or in the pledge, christmas and easter not federal holidays...), to saying 90% believe in god (79%, and only 26% go to church every week), to claiming that people want to move here instead of anywhere else. you know there are mexican immigrants in europe?

step off of your gun-totin', bible-thumpin', america-love-it-or-leave it high horse and recognize that the US is a nation like any other, it has massive faults as well as incredible virtues, and the fact that so many people distrust atheists ranks amongst its bigger faults.

[Dos Equis]

you might want to do a little checking up on your "facts" there, cap-i-tan. you're a little off. on all counts, from "always been a religious country" (founded by staunch secularists, "god" wasn't on money or in the pledge, christmas and easter not federal holidays...), to saying 90% believe in god (79%, and only 26% go to church every week), to claiming that people want to move here instead of anywhere else. you know there are mexican immigrants in europe?

step off of your gun-totin', bible-thumpin', america-love-it-or-leave it high horse and recognize that the US is a nation like any other, it has massive faults as well as incredible virtues, and the fact that so many people distrust atheists ranks amongst its bigger faults.

I'd say my facts are pretty accurate lieutenant.     Saying this wasn't a religious country when it was founded is revisionist history.  In fact, it was too religious, because the initial settlers fled religious persecution in Europe and promptly established a virtual theocracy (bad thing).  There is no period in American history when religious faith has not been deeply ingrained in our society.

Are you suggesting immigrants flock to Europe in greater numbers than the U.S.?  If that is true, I find that surprising.  In any event, there is no denying (not reasonably anyway) that immigrants from all over the world flood our borders every year.   

And my contention that 90 percent of Americans believe in God is an estimate, but there are a number of polls that support that estimate, e.g.:  "Poll: 9 of 10 Americans Believe in God; Nearly Half Rejects Evolution."  ve_in_God%3B_Nearly_Half_Rejects_Evolution.htm" class="bbc_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070402/26658_Poll:_9_of_10_Americans_Belie ve_in_God%3B_Nearly_Half_Rejects_Evolution.htm

One of the great things about this country is you can believe or not believe.  The government can't force you to believe in God, go to church, belong to any particular religion, or take your tax dollars to support churches.  The First Amendment is a wonderful thing. 

Another great thing is I can refuse to support a candidate who does not believe in God.  I love this place. 

[calmus]

I'd say my facts are pretty accurate lieutenant.     Saying this wasn't a religious country when it was founded is revisionist history.  In fact, it was too religious, because the initial settlers fled religious persecution in Europe and promptly established a virtual theocracy (bad thing).  There is no period in American history when religious faith has not been deeply ingrained in our society.

Let's just look at the great BB's first point.

Monster confusing the 1600s Massachusetts with 1770s colonies .  By this logic, we're almost still in the Great Awakening. 

Never mind Madison, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson et al

[Bindare_Dundat]

The number of American atheists provide low estimates, but let's assume for a minute that we can trust these data as reasonably accurate. A commonly reported number is that 1.6% of Americans identify themselves as atheists. If the U.S. population is approximately 303.5 million, this means that there are at least 4,856,000 atheists in America who identify as such. That is a lot of atheists!

Given that the number of Americans reporting no religious affiliation is 16.1%, we can assume that there are at least some out there who are atheists but who do not want to identify as such for a variety of reasons. As a quick example, combining the number who identify as either atheist or agnostic gets us to 4% (roughly 12,140,000 people).

[Dos Equis]

The number of American atheists provide low estimates, but let's assume for a minute that we can trust these data as reasonably accurate. A commonly reported number is that 1.6% of Americans identify themselves as atheists. If the U.S. population is approximately 303.5 million, this means that there are at least 4,856,000 atheists in America who identify as such. That is a lot of atheists!

Given that the number of Americans reporting no religious affiliation is 16.1%, we can assume that there are at least some out there who are atheists but who do not want to identify as such for a variety of reasons. As a quick example, combining the number who identify as either atheist or agnostic gets us to 4% (roughly 12,140,000 people).

You should exclude minors, which cuts down your 300 million quite a bit.  But whatever that number is (assume it is still in the millions), it's still a pretty small minority.  People who believe in God number in the tens of millions. 

I'm sure there is a sizeable number who don't believe in God, but I doubt we ever see a viable atheist candidate for president.