America's new religious litmus test

Sky Dancer

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"What is so miserably wrong and unelectable in being a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain?
The pigment of Obama's, Jindal's or Haley's skin does not seem to matter goes the popular narrative, but Christian faith is a foregone criterion for electability. A religious litmus test is clearly in play."
On Faith Panelists Blog: Haley, Jindal and America's new religious litmus test - Aseem Shukla

What faiths are electable? Haley was raised a Sikh and converted to Christianity. I doubt she would have been elected as a Sikh. Can an atheist be elected? Do we have an unofficial Judeo-Christian theocracy?
 
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I don't have a problem electing people of any faith as long as they stand for the principles of the Constitution and limited government.
 
I don't have a problem electing people of any faith as long as they stand for the principles of the Constitution and limited government.

Yes but the OP is quite correct. You have to be a Christian to see the ballot. It is an enigma of sorts since there are not many that vote based on religion yet somehow there is always a Christian as the president. I have no theories on this really and hope someone here has a better handle on the possible reasons.
 
Kennedy was the first Catholic ever elected. Has there been any more? The country is 80 percent Christian of course our Presidents will be Christian.
 
"What is so miserably wrong and unelectable in being a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain?
The pigment of Obama's, Jindal's or Haley's skin does not seem to matter goes the popular narrative, but Christian faith is a foregone criterion for electability. A religious litmus test is clearly in play."
On Faith Panelists Blog: Haley, Jindal and America's new religious litmus test - Aseem Shukla

What faiths are electable? Haley was raised a Sikh and converted to Christianity. I doubt she would have been elected as a Sikh. Can an atheist be elected? Do we have an unofficial Judeo-Christian theocracy?

Haley was elected despite being called a raghead, a Sikh, an adulterer, and a fake convert to Christianity. Why don't you give the voters enough credit to think that they picked her because everything that was said against her did not really matter to them, and actually made them think less of the people who were tossing the accusations? I think it makes a lot more sense than to insist that voters care more about what church someone goes to than the actual issues. After all, they elected Obama despite the fact that he went to a racist and anti-American church for years.
 
I don't have a problem electing people of any faith as long as they stand for the principles of the Constitution and limited government.

Yes but the OP is quite correct. You have to be a Christian to see the ballot. It is an enigma of sorts since there are not many that vote based on religion yet somehow there is always a Christian as the president. I have no theories on this really and hope someone here has a better handle on the possible reasons.

What are you talking about? Jews, Athiests, Hindus, Muslims, etc are elected to local and federal office all the time.

Heck, we just elected a black liberation theology believer. You think that's mainstream?
 
Americans elect a lot of public officials – over half a million, from the President down to school district level. If atheists and other nonbelievers were represented fairly, you would expect about 50 in the US Congress and another 50,000 at State and local level. In 2007, the Secular Coalition for America tried to find them. They found only five. Three were very local officials: a school board president, a school committee member and a town meeting member.
America’s top elected atheists | michaelnugent.com
 
I don't have a problem electing people of any faith as long as they stand for the principles of the Constitution and limited government.

Yes but the OP is quite correct. You have to be a Christian to see the ballot. It is an enigma of sorts since there are not many that vote based on religion yet somehow there is always a Christian as the president. I have no theories on this really and hope someone here has a better handle on the possible reasons.

What are you talking about? Jews, Athiests, Hindus, Muslims, etc are elected to local and federal office all the time.

Heck, we just elected a black liberation theology believer. You think that's mainstream?

I was specifically referring to the presidency where there are almost always protestants and never anyone that was not a Christian, at least publicly. Even in the senate and house, non Christians are not often elected. I do not believe that that creates a theocracy or is even encouraging it, just that it is a rather odd statistic and quite interesting.
 
Yes but the OP is quite correct. You have to be a Christian to see the ballot. It is an enigma of sorts since there are not many that vote based on religion yet somehow there is always a Christian as the president. I have no theories on this really and hope someone here has a better handle on the possible reasons.

What are you talking about? Jews, Athiests, Hindus, Muslims, etc are elected to local and federal office all the time.

Heck, we just elected a black liberation theology believer. You think that's mainstream?

I was specifically referring to the presidency where there are almost always protestants and never anyone that was not a Christian, at least publicly. Even in the senate and house, non Christians are not often elected. I do not believe that that creates a theocracy or is even encouraging it, just that it is a rather odd statistic and quite interesting.
I doubt a non-christian will ever be President.
 
What are you talking about? Jews, Athiests, Hindus, Muslims, etc are elected to local and federal office all the time.

Heck, we just elected a black liberation theology believer. You think that's mainstream?

I was specifically referring to the presidency where there are almost always protestants and never anyone that was not a Christian, at least publicly. Even in the senate and house, non Christians are not often elected. I do not believe that that creates a theocracy or is even encouraging it, just that it is a rather odd statistic and quite interesting.
I doubt a non-christian will ever be President.

By some standards there have been quite a few presidents who are not Christians.

Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents * Religion

As far as the Senate and House, it seems to be fairly representative, right down to Scientology.

Religion of U.S. Congress
 
OK windbag- Let me qualify my statement further. I doubt a non-christian will be elected President in my lifetime.
 
I was specifically referring to the presidency where there are almost always protestants and never anyone that was not a Christian, at least publicly. Even in the senate and house, non Christians are not often elected. I do not believe that that creates a theocracy or is even encouraging it, just that it is a rather odd statistic and quite interesting.
I doubt a non-christian will ever be President.

By some standards there have been quite a few presidents who are not Christians.

Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents * Religion

As far as the Senate and House, it seems to be fairly representative, right down to Scientology.

Religion of U.S. Congress

By who's standards? They are all Christian. (president)
 
I don't have a problem electing people of any faith as long as they stand for the principles of the Constitution and limited government.

Yes but the OP is quite correct. You have to be a Christian to see the ballot. It is an enigma of sorts since there are not many that vote based on religion yet somehow there is always a Christian as the president. I have no theories on this really and hope someone here has a better handle on the possible reasons.

What are you talking about? Jews, Athiests, Hindus, Muslims, etc are elected to local and federal office all the time.

Heck, we just elected a black liberation theology believer. You think that's mainstream?

Really? Like who?
 
I doubt a non-christian will ever be President.

By some standards there have been quite a few presidents who are not Christians.

Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents * Religion

As far as the Senate and House, it seems to be fairly representative, right down to Scientology.

Religion of U.S. Congress

By who's standards? They are all Christian. (president)

Quite a few Christians insist that if you do not believe in the Trinity you are not a Christian. I actually had an argument on this forum about Jefferson being a Christian because someone insisted that he was not a Christian, even though he called himself one.

Give it time, sooner or later a non Christian will be elected.
 

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