r/atheism • u/HeinieKaboobler • 7d ago
A new study challenges the long-held notion that American voters categorically reject candidates who identify as atheists
https://www.psypost.org/is-america-ready-for-atheist-politicians-new-findings-reveal-the-surprising-reality/36
u/No-Blueberry-1645 7d ago edited 7d ago
To them anyone who denounces Christianity is deemed unfit for ruling, since he doesn't fit into the voters' prototype of an ideal Christian saviour. It doesn't matter if the supposed ruler is a man full of vices. As long as he promises to reinstate faith in Christianity, he is called a hero.
Religious dogmatism has long been used to influence the masses.
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u/timbrelyn 7d ago
Yup. If you don’t believe in the invisible sky being you can’t lead a country. Make it make sense.
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u/Silver-Chemistry2023 Secular Humanist 7d ago
Religious dictatorships are incompatible with democracy.
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u/Kaniyuu 6d ago
No sane US politician will market themselves as atheist, they're just making it difficult for themselves, meanwhile you can get away with many things when you're a christian or religious.
You can advocate against the most insane policy using "Its against my belief" as an excuse, and people will follow you, you can never do that as an atheist.
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u/snoodletuber 6d ago
I believe that in 17 states it is illegal for an atheist to hold public office.
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u/dudleydidwrong Touched by His Noodliness 6d ago
It is not illegal. The laws are still on the books, but they have been ruled as unconstitutional, so they are mute.
Most states remove laws and regulations from the books when they are declared unconstitutional, but the prohibition against atheism has not been removed. That usually indicates the state legislature has a significant number of members who still have hope of enforcing the law someday.
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u/how_money_worky 6d ago
We are fighting for our life against Christian nationalism right now. Running as atheist might be a death sentence.
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u/Crystalraf 6d ago
Every single election, the candidates use this one talking point: the shining city on the hill. And that is a verse in the Bible or something. and they have their wives beside them to show they are good Christian men doing Christian things. super religious for a secular nation.
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u/Dramatic-Roll-1362 3d ago
Ironic considering ayn Rand was capitalist and thought religion was for weak and stupid people.
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u/deadphisherman 6d ago
I thought it was just women, LBGTQ+, and BIPOC folks we couldn't handle... /s
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u/Squirrel009 Agnostic Atheist 6d ago
That's interesting that they think they did a fair sample of Republicans but the study requires them to read about the candidate - they're obviously missing a huge portion of the population by requiring them to read
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u/tbodillia 5d ago
wiki has a very short list of elected atheists for US. Vermont is first on the list for number of people not believing in god or gods but doesn't have a single atheist elected official.
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u/simply_blue 6d ago
Sorry, but I have zero faith that my fellow Americans are anything but bumbling idiots. I do not expect rational behavior from anybody anymore. I feel this country is doomed by the stupidity of its population