Do you think there will be an atheist sworn in as president in our lifetime?

[Tcbys]

In our lifetime would we ever see first atheist president?

[graham4anything]

1. way before a Morman.

[snappyturtle]

2. No. Wish it could happen but I doubt it. nt

[barbtries]

3. my theory is we've already seen plenty of them

they just can't say it aloud because of the religiosity of the country.

[renie408]

14. +1000. That is exactly what I was going to say.

I would bet that there are A LOT more atheists in this country than are ever accounted for. I live in the deep South and even know people who are church going and identify as Christian who, if you can get them into a conversation really talking about their faith, admit that they don't really believe. But they still strongly identify with their church. It is the centerpiece of their community and THAT is what they will not abandon.

[Kindly Refrain]

21. Yup, in a rural area if you don't belong to a church

You are isolated both geographically and socially. Churches have become for profit community centers.

[Kindly Refrain]

19. Exactly, most of the ultra rich are atheists.

If only because the things they worship are themselves and Mammon.

[Chan790]

32. The first being Thomas Jefferson.

Reading the collected letters of Jefferson, there can be no doubt that he was as militant of an atheist as any prominent non-theist philosopher of his age.

Washington and Adams by their own correspondence were agnostic. I guess the better question is "Who was the first Christian President?" Monroe perhaps, I know nothing of James Monroe's personal life or religious beliefs.

[2pooped2pop]

4. you'll never convince me any of the repiglicans are Christian

So, I say it has already occurred. Now an admitted atheist? Not anytime soon. They could rouse the repiglicans with that meme even more so than abortion, guns and gays. lol

[SidDithers]

13. The repuglicans who claim they're Christian absolutely are Christians...nt

Sid

[2pooped2pop]

24. Bush, a christian? Hell no.

No, they use the Christian meme to get the useful idiots to do their bidding but I know by their actions that if there happens to be a God, these mother fuckers are going to hell.

[SidDithers]

27. Yes. Bush is a Christian...

you don't get to kick him out of your club just 'cause you don't like him.

Sid

[2pooped2pop]

41. Hell I'm not in the club.

But, I do know a non Christian when I see one. Takes one to know one?

I think a whole lot of people who claim God are full of shit. This would include the majority of the repiglican party.

I know them by their actions, not their words.

Cino's Christians in name only.

[Mariana]

34. I'm pretty sure Bush honestly believes

that the Bible is generally true and that Christ died for our sins and so on. That is quite enough to make him a genuine Christian.

[JHB]

5. What would the answer to that about Catholics have been in 1958?

What about a black president who wasn't Colin Powell, in 2006? (and by then, Powell had pretty much sunk himself on the altar of Bushco)

That's the thing about change, it often happens much faster than you think.

[Dirty Socialist]

6. Yes, And He/She Will Be A Republican

The GOP will eventually embrace Ayn Rand whole heartedly.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

15. Correction.

He/She will be a Republican who claims to be a Christian.

Now I was going to finish that sentence with "but acts like an atheist" but what would be grossly unfair to just about every atheist on this board, who manage to behave more like Christians and than many Christians.

Just as there are "flavors" among the faith community, we have to recognize that not all atheists are created equal.

[2pooped2pop]

25. perhaps it could be "but acts like a devil worshiper"

rather than atheist, then?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

37. I dunno...Even Satan wouldn't go out dressed like this...

[2pooped2pop]

40. lol n/t

[pinboy3niner]

7. What do you mean 'Our,' Kemo Sabe?

"In our lifetime" means different things to, say, a twenty-something DUer and a seventy-something DUer.

[librarylu]

8. Oh, I hope so

Of course, some think our current President is an atheist - or at least an agnostic. Maybe he'll say so in his second term - late in his second term.

That would be good. He may need extra security, though.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. The closest we've come to that situation was William Howard Taft.

He was a Unitarian.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

16. Reminds me of a great Simpson's joke.

Rod and Todd are playing a "Christian Video Game" where they shoot unbelievers to turn them into Christians. While playing the game with Bart, one of the boys shouts out, "You only winged him. He's a Unitarian now."

[Kindly Refrain]

23. That's actually a real video game

from snake oil of Tim LeHaye.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

36. Heavens!

I love it when art imitates live. Or vice versa!

[unblock]

10. we quite possibly have had. the real question is, will we ever have an "out" atheist president.

all presidents we've ever had understood the importance of appearing to be a believer, regardless of their actual beliefs, so it's not exactly easy to tell.

also, wouldn't a truly atheistic president have to be affirmed-in?

[jberryhill]

11. No, it is only for four year terms

Only federal judges get lifetime appointments.

[RevStPatrick]

12. I think there already has been.

Plenty of them.
They just don't come out and say it.

[1-Old-Man]

17. I think all but one sworn in during my lifetime was an Athiest.

The only Christian President sworn in during my lifetime was Jimmy Carter as far as I can tell.

[SidDithers]

28. They've all been Christians. Every. Single. One...nt

[scheming daemons]

18. i believe we already have

Several times. Including 2008.

[SidDithers]

20. Nope...

Can you imagine any politician ending a speech without the pandering "God bless you and God bless the United States of America"?

Sid

[TBF]

30. The focus on God has been the past 50 years -

before that it wasn't even on our currency. The right wing would like you to think this was always a Christian nation, but as evidenced by the clear intent of separating church/state it was not this way at the beginning.

I think we've had a number of atheist presidents - including Obama - but they can't say that and get elected in this climate.

[AlinPA]

22. Who knows? He or she must always claim to be a believer to get elected.

[cherokeeprogressive]

26. Don't care. n/t

[RC]

31. Yeah, don't care.

A more realistic question would be, "Will be ever see a real Progressive or Liberal as President in our life time?"
That would have a more telling or positive effects than any religious beliefs or lack of same.

[treestar]

29. If a person is in their early 20s now

They may see that in their lifetime.

I was thinking when baby boomers are the eldest people, that could be the case, but baby boomers seem to be not so liberal as I thought they were.

[Fumesucker]

33. Boomers are like any other generation..

Easily susceptible to bullshit.

And boomers have been fed more than the normal amount of bullshit in their lives.

It takes a lot of input and processing power to cut through the bullshit to any great extent, if you're distracted with other things in particular or just don't give a damn it's sooo easy to just take most everything at face value from what you see in the M$M.

And we know how warped the M$M is.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Not In My Lifetime

I'm 56. The "importance" of relgion in creating a moral compass in politics is far too ingrained and will take decades to undo.
GAC

[rock]

38. Certainly. We may already have had one.

Of course if you mean a declared atheist, no.

[southernyankeebelle]

39. It would be nice to know that a non believer could be elected but this country is to

crazy to elect one. But let's face it in the republican party you have many many so called religion nuts in name only. A majority of them don't practice what they preach. Power does something to some people. They are willing to say they are religious but honestly they don't practice it. I wouldn't be surprised that there have been some non believers in the white house already.

[Spider Jerusalem]

42. No

The USA is one of the world's most religious and least atheist countries. 61% of Americans in a recent global survey on religious attitudes have no doubt of the existence of a god. The only countries with higher percentages of unquestioning belief in the survey were the Philippines, Chile, Poland and Israel. The US also has one of the lowest rates of atheism, at only three percent. And the US was the only country surveyed where people were likely to become MORE religious with age. See here: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/06/25/religiosity-varies-dramatically-across-countries/

[ladjf]

43. Not in a thousand years. nt