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Archae

(46,335 posts) Mon Apr 27, 2015, 03:53 PM Apr 2015

Priest on Faux "news" says atheists can't be President...

Because they aren't afraid of going to hell.

Fox News Priest: Atheists Shouldn’t Be President Because They Don’t Fear “Eternal Consequences”

April 27, 2015 by Hemant Mehta 103 Comments

Over the weekend, in response to the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition summit attended by several Republican presidential candidates, Fox News Channel’s Father Jonathan Morris made clear that faith was a prerequisite for public office:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/04/27/fox-news-priest-atheists-shouldnt-be-president-because-they-dont-fear-eternal-consequences/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=friendlyatheist_042715UTC050410_daily&utm_content=&spMailingID=48532786&spUserID=MTE4MTY1MzAzMTE5S0&spJobID=663291371&spReportId=NjYzMjkxMzcxS0

9 replies

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Highlight:

Priest on Faux "news" says atheists can't be President... (Original Post) Archae Apr 2015 OP

Well there is this little problem with that...... yellowcanine Apr 2015 #1

A President who doesn't believe in fairy tales and acts based on logic and reasoning NightWatcher Apr 2015 #2

And roughly speaking half the nation agrees with him. whatthehey Apr 2015 #3

If you see the obliteration of physical life in the future, ... Bad Thoughts Apr 2015 #4

Neither can priests according to Canon 285-3 TexasProgresive Apr 2015 #5

Evidently fear of hell doesn't stop some of his fellow churchmen from being pedophiles. hobbit709 Apr 2015 #6

Obviously W isn't afraid of going to hell. GeorgeGist Apr 2015 #7

"Not to be confused with the Faith and Freedom Conference hosted by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan" muriel_volestrangler Apr 2015 #8

It is a shame to our nation that we wouldn't elect an Atheist el_bryanto Apr 2015 #9

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)

1. Well there is this little problem with that......

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:00 PM

Apr 2015

No Religious Test Clause From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The No Religious Test Clause of the United States Constitution is found in Article VI, paragraph 3, and states that:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)

2. A President who doesn't believe in fairy tales and acts based on logic and reasoning

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:03 PM

Apr 2015

instead of fear of "Hell" should be a good thing.

I wouldn't let a heart surgeon work on me who said a few words to the Tooth Fairy before he cracked open my chest to work.

whatthehey

(3,660 posts)

3. And roughly speaking half the nation agrees with him.

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:04 PM

Apr 2015

More people, by far, say they would refuse to vote for an atheist than for higher-profile discriminated-against groups such as blacks, women, Jews, gays, etc.

Bad Thoughts

(2,524 posts)

4. If you see the obliteration of physical life in the future, ...

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:10 PM

Apr 2015

... then you don't believe in consequences, either. (That is, of course, using Mr. Morris' logic.)

TexasProgresive

(12,157 posts)

5. Neither can priests according to Canon 285-3

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:14 PM

Apr 2015

§3. Clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

6. Evidently fear of hell doesn't stop some of his fellow churchmen from being pedophiles.

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:15 PM

Apr 2015

GeorgeGist

(25,321 posts)

7. Obviously W isn't afraid of going to hell.

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:33 PM

Apr 2015

muriel_volestrangler

(101,321 posts)

8. "Not to be confused with the Faith and Freedom Conference hosted by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan"

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:36 PM

Apr 2015

That's in the actual Wikipedia entry:

Per Wikipedia, the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition was founded by Ralph Reed, Jr as “a bridge between the Tea Party movement and evangelical voters”, after his old lobbying partner Jack Abramoff was convicted of conspiracy, fraud, and tax evasion. The Faith & Freedom Coalition, adds the Wiki, is “Not to be confused with the Faith and Freedom Conference hosted by the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan”.

You’d think a decently self-aware presidential candidate would want to stay the heck away from such people in public, but these are Republicans. From Politico:

Steve King, the Republican congressman from northwest Iowa, devoted his entire speech at the event to arguing that a Supreme Court decision recognizing a right to gay marriage would be illegitimate. He compared such a decision to the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which upheld slavery and said African-Americans were not entitled to the protections of U.S. citizens.

… Confirming, yet again, my conviction that Steve “Pig Muck” King is the best illustration of why the Iowa caucuses deserve to lose their arbitrary first-in-the-nation status.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2015/04/27/monday-morning-open-thread-iowa-bad-faith-freedumb/

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)

9. It is a shame to our nation that we wouldn't elect an Atheist

Reply to Archae (Original post)

Mon Apr 27, 2015, 04:40 PM

Apr 2015

If we really believed in freedom of conscience this wouldn't be an issue; but to far to many, only Christians can be President. Hopefully we grow past this at some point.

Bryant

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