The Role of Religion in the U.S. Presidential Election

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Church on Sunday. War Monday thru Friday. Make love to the wife on Saturday. What is more Christian than that?

I see.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Now how do you reconcile that with drones dumping ordinances? Are you saying we ain't as Christian a nation as some would like us to believe?

I doubt more than a handful practice Christianity the way Jesus intended.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I doubt more than a handful practice Christianity the way Jesus intended.

Are Christians better Christians, or are Muslims better Muslims? We already know most Jews are atheists.

[duraaraa 203]

I doubt more than a handful practice Christianity the way Jesus intended.

That could be said about nearly any religion. Very few Buddhists practice Buddhism the way Gotama intended, as well.

...not that I don't agree with you. If people were more interested in the kindness of religion, as opposed to playing a game of "my religion is better than yours and if you don't like it I'll show you!!" could have really made the world more harmonious.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I doubt more than a handful practice Christianity the way Jesus intended.

CINOs?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

That could be said about nearly any religion. Very few Buddhists practice Buddhism the way Gotama intended, as well.

...not that I don't agree with you. If people were more interested in the kindness of religion, as opposed to playing a game of "my religion is better than yours and if you don't like it I'll show you!!" could have really made the world more harmonious.

Quite true.

Are Christians better Christians, or are Muslims better Muslims? We already know most Jews are atheists.

Better is subjective.

[GandD 5,966]

I doubt more than a handful practice Christianity the way Jesus intended.

No joke

[GandD 5,966]

Are Christians better Christians, or are Muslims better Muslims? We already know most Jews are atheists.

Nice.

[GandD 5,966]

Pay unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's and unto God, that which is God's. Pay your taxes, and if anything is left, send it to JesusLovesYou@MyBank.com

You're having too much fun with this one

[david'sgirl 134]

Great idea to make a thread for this discussion.

My long-winded rant is as follows:

All of the mention of God in politics is a humongous turn-off. Religion should be a personal matter. The fact that all of the candidates absolutely must be religious, mention God every paragraph, and saying that God loves America is one of the reasons I have never voted.

Religion seems to have its hand deep in politics. Look at Proposition 8 in California, and the Mormon church for an example.

I made the case that a non-religious candidate could, in modern America, win a presidential election, and I stand by that. I think that the people who are currently in their 20s-early 30s are generally as sick of all of the religion in politics as I am.

I have heard people say that God likes America the best, that God will bless our great nation, etc. etc. It makes me sick. If there is a god, shouldn't every nation be equally blessed? Or, considering that in many religions, the god's word must be spread, perhaps a country in the middle east where religious adherence is mandatory would be God's favorite? In my opinion, there's no reason to think that there is any god, and politics must be based on people helping each other, not people receiving divine blessings.

Long-winded rant finished.

The foundation for this country was the freedom to practice religion. Our founding fathers were religious and so God was added to things like currency, the pledge of allegiance, oaths, documents etc. I don;t see that as a bad thing.

I would like to think that no one is basing a vote on just one single thing about a person. For example, I did not vote for Romney but it was not that he was a Mormon that bothered me. It was that I felt he was a two faced sneak and an imbecile. Religion never entered into it. He was just too much like a slimey used car salesman.

[david'sgirl 134]

For that, we may need a celebrity to run. So... maybe we'd get a scientologist, non-republican, non-democrat president?

Send the army to protect us from Lord Xenu!

I could never vote for a scientologist simply because it would cause me to question thier ability to think logically and make sound decisions. Do we really want to place control of nuclear weapons in the hands of someone who believes the aliens are in the rocks and that the mother ship is on the way back to collect them?

I used to enjoy Tom Cruise films but now I just see him as a nutter.

[GandD 5,966]

The foundation for this country was the freedom to practice religion. Our founding fathers were religious and so God was added to things like currency, the pledge of allegiance, oaths, documents etc. I don;t see that as a bad thing.

I would like to think that no one is basing a vote on just one single thing about a person. For example, I did not vote for Romney but it was not that he was a Mormon that bothered me. It was that I felt he was a two faced sneak and an imbecile. Religion never entered into it. He was just too much like a slimey used car salesman.

God wasn't in the pledge of allegiance until 1954

[GandD 5,966]

God wasn't in the pledge of allegiance until 1954

Oh and God wasn't on coins until 1864 or paper money until 1957

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Oh and God wasn't on coins until 1864 or paper money until 1957

But God and religion were frequently discussed in both the public and private correspondence of our founding fathers, and the religious leaders of the time were frequent respondents.

[GandD 5,966]

But God and religion were frequently discussed in both the public and private correspondence of our founding fathers, and the religious leaders of the time were frequent respondents.

Oh I didn't say it wasn't and I'm sure it still happens today to different degrees I'm different administrations. Presidents still have to consider the opinions of high ranking clergy members before and after elections.