Nontheism vs. Congress

[itcouldbesweet]

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) is first Congress member in history to acknowledge his nontheism
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lori Lipman Brown, (202) 299-1091
March 12, 2007

There is only one member of Congress who is on record as not holding a god-belief.

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), a member of Congress since 1973, acknowledged his nontheism in response to an inquiry by the Secular Coalition for America. Rep. Stark is a senior member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and is Chair of the Health Subcommittee.

Although the Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office, the Coalition's research reveals that Rep. Stark is the first open nontheist in the history of the Congress. Recent polls show that Americans without a god-belief are, as a group, more distrusted than any other minority in America. Surveys show that the majority of Americans would not vote for an atheist for president even if he or she were the most qualified for the office.

Herb Silverman, president of the Secular Coalition for America, attributes these attitudes to the demonization of people who don't believe in God. "The truth is," says Silverman, "the vast majority of us follow the Golden Rule and are as likely to be good citizens, just like Rep. Stark with over 30 years of exemplary public service. The only way to counter the prejudice against nontheists is for more people to publicly identify as nontheists. Rep. Stark shows remarkable courage in being the first member of Congress to do so."

In October, 2006 the Secular Coalition for America, a national lobby representing the interests of atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheists, announced a contest. At the time, few if any elected officials, even at the lowest level, would self-identify as a nontheist. So the Coalition offered $1,000 to the person who could identify the highest level atheist, agnostic, humanist or any other kind of nontheist currently holding elected public office in the United States.

In addition to Rep. Stark only three other elected officials agreed to do so: Terry S. Doran, president of the School Board in Berkeley, Calif.; Nancy Glista on the School Committee in Franklin, Maine; and Michael Cerone, a Town Meeting Member from Arlington, Mass.

Surveys vary in the percentage of atheists, humanists, freethinkers and other nontheists in the U.S, with about 10% (30 million people) a fair middle point. "If the number of nontheists in Congress reflected the percentage of nontheists in the population," Lori Lipman Brown, director of the Secular Coalition, observes, "there would be 53-54 nontheistic Congress members instead of one."

http://www.secular.org/news/pete_stark_070312.html

Excellent. Very admirable.

[The Man]

Here's hoping he manages to retain his seat next election.

[Ex Deo]

He has a lot of courage, considering many Americans, as the article points out, don't much trust folks who don't believe in a deity, preferably the Christian one. In any case, I don't think it's bad thing, sadly, religious politicians, mainly Republicans, focus on "issues" that are not really that important, i.e. gay marriage, rather than important stuff.

As well, too many people attach Jesus to their cause, Dems and Republicans both, as if he somehow favors one party over the other. It's no bad thing to believe in God, but I'm not really bothered by a politician's lack of belief.

Oh and I liked how the article stated, "In October, 2006 the Secular Coalition for America, a national lobby representing the interests of atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheists, announced a contest." Nice touch since all of us who believe in a god are just mindless drones. *sigh*

[The Man]

Meh, don't blame that on the authors of the article; the label of freethought has been around for a really long time.

[Ex Deo]

I won't lay it on the authors, but by including that label it seems to make the assumption that if you believe in a deity then you clearly have not come to that conclusion through logic and rational thought. Which I would have to take issue with. But I digress.