If a presidential candidate admitted they were Atheist would they have any chance of winning?

[logician]

Exactly! Yet he believed in God. The churches of his day were corrupt, and apparently he recognized that. As I said, the true church wasn't restored until 1830.

I never said he was an atheist, he just despised Christianity.

 

[Fluffy]

No it doesn't seem likely. For many in America, atheism is a deciding quality, almost like a veto. If it is present in a candidate then they will not vote for that candidate. Everything else becomes irrelevant.

I find this disheartening and worrying. I feel that this indicates that people are still more prepared to point to those few things that place us apart from one another rather than focus on the vast array of aspects that we have in common. I hope that it will not be the case for very much longer.

Your options are too limited. God answers us through a variety of ways. Sometimes his answers come through the words of others. So to cut ourselves off from God, would likely mean to cut ourselves off from many things--parents, teachers, etc. Sorry, that's the best I can do.

I don't see how this works, Starfish. Why does cutting myself off from God imply that I will cut myself off from my parents, teachers e.t.c.? Why do you think this is likely?

 

[Father Heathen]

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.” George Washington

Here is an interesting link about misquoting The Founding Fathers.

 

[Starfish]

I don't see how this works, Starfish. Why does cutting myself off from God imply that I will cut myself off from my parents, teachers e.t.c.? Why do you think this is likely?

I had to search back to find the post to see what I was talking about.

I want a candidate who will recognize his own inadequacies, as I believe all wise people do, and seek guidance from God. God communicates to us through various ways, through the scriptures, things people say to us, etc. Sometimes his answers can come through the wiser people in our lives, like our parents and teachers. So what I meant was that ignoring the wise counsel around us, might mean we are ignoring counsel from God. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

[Sunstone]

Here is an interesting link about misquoting The Founding Fathers.

Spoil sport.

 

[Magic Man]

I had to search back to find the post to see what I was talking about.

I want a candidate who will recognize his own inadequacies, as I believe all wise people do, and seek guidance from God. God communicates to us through various ways, through the scriptures, things people say to us, etc. Sometimes his answers can come through the wiser people in our lives, like our parents and teachers. So what I meant was that ignoring the wise counsel around us, might mean we are ignoring counsel from God. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

And what of the wise men who do recognize their own inadequacies, and seek guidance from others, including parents, teachers and anyone else who has something to add, but lack any belief in God? I think your idea works better if you say "we are ignoring counsel from God when we ignore the wise counsel around us, like our parents and teachers". Since there are plenty of wise people who are not believers, then I think it's pretty safe to say that we can listen to the counsel of wise people around us, and not acknowledge that any of this wise counsel comes from God.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Exactly! Yet he believed in God. The churches of his day were corrupt, and apparently he recognized that. As I said, the true church wasn't restored until 1830.

If you think that Thomas Paine was really a Mormon at heart just born in the wrong era, I have to assume that you haven't actually read Common Sense. In it, Paine lists many objections to religions based on characteristics of the churches he was familiar with that, IMO, are shared with the LDS Church. He also clearly spells out what he considers to be correct belief, and it's definitely not compatible with Mormon theology.

 

[GayAtheist]

So, you can wave a gun in the air, or a kilo of coke, or have any IQ below Forrest Gump,but you can't be Atheist. That says it all!

 

[whereismynotecard]

If a presidential candidate (not neccessarily in this election, but any) were to be honest about the fact that they did not attend church and/or they were agnostic or atheist, do you think they would have any chance of winning the nomination? My personal feeling is that they would not, but I was curious as to what people thought about that.

I don't think that an atheist would have any chance at all to be elected, or even make it through the primaries... Weren't a bunch of people p***ed off because Obama is a Muslim? Or because they thought he was?? (I don't know if he is or not...) Anyway, I think most people prefer Christians, or Catholics or something to be the president...

 

[whereismynotecard]

Sometimes his answers can come through the wiser people in our lives, like our parents and teachers.

So you are giving God credit for things that parents and teachers come up with?? That doesn't seem fair at all...

 

[Starfish]

So you are giving God credit for things that parents and teachers come up with?? That doesn't seem fair at all...

When I was raising my kids, I prayed daily for help in the task. So I hope that at least once in a while, I was receiving inspiration as I endeavored to teach them. I do know I would have done far worse without God's help.

I believe the same guidance is invaluable when running a country.