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There Are 10 Times As Many Atheists as Mormons: When Will Non-Believers Become a Political Force?

Here’s a good article on the politics of religious belief (and non-belief) by Adam Lee at alternet.

American politics clearly has a “stained-glass ceiling,” a de facto barrier to atheists running for office. Despite the many great Americans who’ve been nonbelievers, despite the guarantees of secularism written into our Constitution, outspoken atheism is still seen as an insurmountable liability for anyone who seeks to serve our country as an elected officer of the government.

Why is this? It’s not because atheists are so rare that politicians can safely ignore us. On the contrary, nonbelief is far more common than many people realize.

Here’s a Rachel Maddow Show clip from 2009, when atheist Cecil Bothwell was the subject of criticism after he was elected to Asheville, North Carolina’s city council.  Bothwell recently announced that he will run for congress in 2012.  If he were to win, he’d be the only congressperson that self-identifies as an atheist.

Tea Party Jesus:  ACLU = Evil Commies

Tea Party Jesus:  ACLU = Evil Commies

(Source: teapartyjesus)

(this post was reblogged from teapartyjesus)
christiannightmares: New Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley: ‘Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.’ (Click image for story) So … he wants to be the brother of non-Christians?  Does that mean he’ll cast aside his religion so he can call atheists brother and sister?  What a nice man! Click for high-res photo

christiannightmares:

New Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley: ‘Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I’m telling you, you’re not my brother and you’re not my sister, and I want to be your brother.’ (Click image for story)

So … he wants to be the brother of non-Christians?  Does that mean he’ll cast aside his religion so he can call atheists brother and sister?  What a nice man!

(this post was reblogged from christiannightmares)

Stephen Colbert:  Jesus is a liberal democrat

(photo by Rachel Titiriga) For all American adults reading this — don’t forget to make time to go vote tomorrow (assuming that you registered in time).  Here’s a good polling location finder, in case you’re not sure where to go. Or, if you’d like another option, Google also has their own poll finder. Like all elections, this one’s important.  Please do your part in making sure the voice of the non-religious is heard this mid-term election, and you vote for candidates who’ll respect the separation of church and state.  But please, do your research, make your own decisions, and make sure they’re well-informed ones.  If we become unbalanced, single-issue voters, then we’re no better than the God-fearing religious fundamentalists who are only driven by their desire to legislate their code of morality.

(photo by Rachel Titiriga)

For all American adults reading this — don’t forget to make time to go vote tomorrow (assuming that you registered in time).  Here’s a good polling location finder, in case you’re not sure where to go.

Or, if you’d like another option, Google also has their own poll finder.

Like all elections, this one’s important.  Please do your part in making sure the voice of the non-religious is heard this mid-term election, and you vote for candidates who’ll respect the separation of church and state. 

But please, do your research, make your own decisions, and make sure they’re well-informed ones.  If we become unbalanced, single-issue voters, then we’re no better than the God-fearing religious fundamentalists who are only driven by their desire to legislate their code of morality.

On November 2, we are voting on the Constitution

Few people probably realize that we are voting on the Constitution, and in particular, the First Amendments rights of freedom of choice in matters of religion.

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their fantasy America, the mythic America that was founded as a Christian nation in their re-written text books, is about to come to fruition. They are that close. Church State separation doesn’t exist in the Republican mindset. There is no place for it in the Constitution or even in discussion of the Constitution. They simply say it isn’t there.

(via)

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Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?
Christine O’Donnell, in a recent debate against her Democratic opponent

FCKH8 Anti Prop 8 Promo

(NSFW)

“The Christian ****ing right — you’ve got it all ****ing wrong.  Don’t ****ing talk to me about “family values” when you work to **** gays and their kids out of emergence hospital visitation, custody of their children, and health insurance benefits.”

Michael Shermer’s reaction to getting removed from the lineup on MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” (via) Click for high-res photo

Michael Shermer’s reaction to getting removed from the lineup on MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann”

(via)