Religion

trotsky

(49,533 posts) Mon Jul 7, 2014, 09:19 AM Jul 2014

Why I Feel Left Out in My Own Party

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2014/07/why-i-feel-left-out-in-my-own-party/

My name is Daniel Moran. I am the stepfather of an eleven-year-old girl who just celebrated her birthday yesterday. I am a student at the University of North Texas, majoring in Political Science, specializing in Constitutional Law, and currently enrolled in the Pre-Law program. I am the founder of the Secular Student Alliance at UNT and the Texas Network Coordinator for the national Secular Student Alliance organization.

I am also the Democratic nominee for Texas House District 63, and I am running as an openly atheist candidate.

...

What I am saying is that I don’t feel like I belong in the Democratic Party, because of its level of religiosity.

...

On Friday night of the convention (7/27), a whole host of candidates, officeholders, and party officials gave speeches, including keynote speaker, State Sen. Wendy Davis, our party’s nominee for Texas Governor. All but one of the speeches I remember either quoted the Bible or used some kind of religious metaphor, all of them from the Bible, of course.

Much more at the link. The 4-paragraph limit on quoting really doesn't do the article justice.

13 replies

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Highlight:

Why I Feel Left Out in My Own Party (Original Post) trotsky Jul 2014 OP

One's job as a candidate is to appeal to one's constituents pipoman Jul 2014 #1

Well, being a candidate is not a job skepticscott Jul 2014 #4

And what would that be in this case? pipoman Jul 2014 #6

"run on his atheism"? Goblinmonger Jul 2014 #9

I guess that depends on if he wants votes or not.... pipoman Jul 2014 #10

What are you talking about? Act_of_Reparation Jul 2014 #11

People see what they want to see, I guess. AtheistCrusader Jul 2014 #13

Without attacking religion, one governor had a "Day of Reason" over the Day of Prayer. Brettongarcia Jul 2014 #2

It's not that he's in Texas or anything! No, it's the Dem party. JNelson6563 Jul 2014 #3

Oh it's definitely Texas alright, but it's disturbing. trotsky Jul 2014 #5

Not clueless as much as parochial. Warpy Jul 2014 #12

Interesting point of view. hrmjustin Jul 2014 #7

It would have been useful if he wrote who asked him this. rug Jul 2014 #8

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

1. One's job as a candidate is to appeal to one's constituents

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 09:32 AM

Jul 2014

skepticscott

(13,029 posts)

4. Well, being a candidate is not a job

Reply to pipoman (Reply #1)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 10:35 AM

Jul 2014

But the duty of a candidate, or an elected official (or what should be the duty) is to tell his or her constituents what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Sadly, our political system is so fucked up that no candidate who actually does that stands much of a chance of getting elected any more. And we deserve the result.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

6. And what would that be in this case?

Reply to skepticscott (Reply #4)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 11:56 AM

Jul 2014

He chose to run on his atheism, now is whining because that doesn't resonate with his constituents. ..

Goblinmonger

(22,340 posts)

9. "run on his atheism"?

Reply to pipoman (Reply #6)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 03:06 PM

Jul 2014

So if someone is openly Christian, are they "running on their Christianity"?

All it says is that he is open about his atheism. So he should shut the fuck up about that?

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

10. I guess that depends on if he wants votes or not....

Reply to Goblinmonger (Reply #9)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 03:16 PM

Jul 2014

People get to vote based on all of their knowledge of a candidate. Seems he thinks his atheism is hurting his run....He can say anything he wants, proclaim anything, and voters can decide. .that's the way it works around here. ..

Oh, and people surely have ran on Christianity. ..I'm sure some have won and some have lost. .

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

11. What are you talking about?

Reply to pipoman (Reply #6)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 04:50 PM

Jul 2014

He chose to run on his atheism, now is whining because that doesn't resonate with his constituents. ..

We must have read different articles. The one I read was about a politician feeling out of place in his own party because of their constant religious invocations. It didn't say anything about his campaign or how it was received by voters.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

13. People see what they want to see, I guess.

Reply to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #11)

Tue Jul 8, 2014, 12:57 PM

Jul 2014

Brettongarcia

(2,262 posts)

2. Without attacking religion, one governor had a "Day of Reason" over the Day of Prayer.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 09:47 AM

Jul 2014

JNelson6563

(28,151 posts)

3. It's not that he's in Texas or anything! No, it's the Dem party.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 09:59 AM

Jul 2014

I've been to countless Dem events in Michigan where I never heard so much as a mention of religion. But again, that's Michigan.

Sorry but I see this as a bit clueless on his part.

Julie--the unempathetic atheist

trotsky

(49,533 posts)

5. Oh it's definitely Texas alright, but it's disturbing.

Reply to JNelson6563 (Reply #3)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 11:27 AM

Jul 2014

And I'm sure it's the same in more than a few other states as well.

Warpy

(111,282 posts)

12. Not clueless as much as parochial.

Reply to JNelson6563 (Reply #3)

Tue Jul 8, 2014, 09:42 AM

Jul 2014

When he grows up all the way and travels outside the south (and Texas is south), he'll find out that not every state in this country is god soaked.

After all, one of the first questions a newcomer is asked is what church s/he goes to. It's their way of sorting new people out since most friendships are made through the churches and there is a church on just about every damn busy corner.

Unclassified people make WASP southerners very nervous. They'd rather you be an idol worshiping Catholic than an atheist.

ETA: To the thinskinned alerters: the above is an opinion pervasive in much of the south, not a pejorative to anyone at DU or elsewhere.

hrmjustin

(71,265 posts)

7. Interesting point of view.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 12:10 PM

Jul 2014

He seems to want to remove any religious rhetoric from politicians speaches. I think thst is not going to happen but I think he shoukd be heard and his opinion respected.

I wish him well in the election.

rug

(82,333 posts)

8. It would have been useful if he wrote who asked him this.

Reply to trotsky (Original post)

Mon Jul 7, 2014, 03:06 PM

Jul 2014

Christians, Muslims, Jews, and the LGBTQ would never be told by the Democratic Party to not talk about who they are, but I as an atheist am asked to not talk about my atheism, that I’m shoving it down their throats.

Otherwise, it's a bit bouncy ball.

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