Conventions leave atheists asking: What political party represents me?

[rug]

September 6th, 2012
03:24 PM ET
By Dan Merica, CNN

Washington (CNN) – This convention season has not been good for atheists.

The word "God" was reinserted in the Democratic platform after it had been removed. A plan to raise atheist billboards in the convention cities was stymied by opponents. And though there were preachers and rabbis and other religious leaders opening and closing each day of each convention, there wasn’t an avowed atheist talking up unbelief on either convention’s speaking list.

The political lockout has left many nonbelievers asking, “What political party represents me?”

“We are deeply saddened by the exclusion of a large number of Americans by both parties,” said Teresa MacBain, a spokeswoman for the group American Atheists, in an interview on Thursday. “It amazes me that in modern-day America, so much prejudice still exists.”

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/06/conventions-leave-atheists-asking-what-political-party-represents-me/

[liberalmuse]

1. I'm an atheist...

and I'm not asking that. Just sayin'. I understand religion has been around for thousands of years. It's going to take some time for people to let it go - if ever.

[Politicalboi]

2. NONE

When it comes to Atheism. But that's been the way it is for eons. I hope some day to have an open Atheist in the White House. I think Obama is the closest thing we get for now. IMO he may be an Atheist, but he can't admit it. At least Obama doesn't flash it in our faces.

[JoePhilly]

3. OMG ... next you'll be saying that God is mentioned on the money I use!!!!

I'm an atheist. The Democratic party represents me, because it allows those who worship some God to do so, and the Dem party does not expect, or worse DEMAND, that I worship how any faithful Dem worships. I'm free to not join the faithful.

Whether one believes in God or not does not effect the fact that the notion of a God, or a "Creator" is a fairly common part of not only American history, but of world history. And plenty of Dems are believers. I'm not one, but I would no more try to make them stop believing then I would appreciate them trying to force me to follow specific religious doctrine.

I don't need the Dem party to ignore the notion of God, any more than the rest of the faithful of the party should expect me to show up at church services.

Lots of Dems believe in God, and I have no problem if that belief is recognized in the platform, just so long as it does not require me to do anything other than to allow them that freedom.

[SDjack]

4. As an atheist, I don't feel excluded by the DEM party.

The Christians do what they like to do, and they don't try to cram it down my throat. That's a deal I can live with.

[humblebum]

5. Religious speech is also free speech and certainly no minority group should be allowed to

press their agenda upon a majority when free speech does absolutely nothing to abuse others.

Of course there is always the Atheist Party.

[dmallind]

8. So is white speech, straight speech and gentile speech free spech

But the corresponding minorities managed to be represented quite well.

[humblebum]

11. Who decides what constitutes free speech? One platitude often expressed here

is that no one has the right to not be offended.

[Leontius]

13. Then why don't you if you are a registered Democrat, if that status is needed, petition

the Party to offer an atheists speech on the podium I'll support you in trying to get approval any way you need.

[leftyohiolib]

6. narrow sighted atheists maybe there's more to the democratic party than religion

[Goblinmonger]

10. Then why reinsert "god" into the platform?

And stop with the backhanded slam of atheists taking attention away from what is important.

[humblebum]

16. Where did anyone slam atheists? NT

[leftyohiolib]

22. b/c some people believe in a higher power. and it's not a slam to atheist but to a narrow vision.

atheists need to let go of their hatred of religion and the religious. the democratic party is a big tent party it has more to offer than just religion or lack of relgion and that is what they should focus on. dont be like the people who vote republican b/c all they care about is preventing abortion and they think the republicans are going to provide that, in the end the vote against their own best intrests.
if you dont like the religious aspect of the dem party focus on them trying to help the poor and their children, or trying to save your s.s. or trying to clean the air you breath, the water you drink. what's in it for atheists how about those concerns just mentioned.

[Goblinmonger]

23. What does a "higher power" have to do with politics?

Why would a "higher power" need to be included in a platform for a political party that is involved in a secular government?

Do you really think I'm going to vote Republican because of this? No shit I'm voting Democrat but that doesn't mean it would be nice to have the non-religious segment of the population (which is bigger than many religious and other minorities that are represented at the convention) given some recognition and inclusion.

[leftyohiolib]

28. well you are correct that the goverment is to be secular but the individual components can profess

their beliefs in any venue they want. my response was to this 'Conventions leave atheists asking: What political party represents me?' this implys to me that there are atheists out there that are saying why should i vote democratic party since both mention the word god. since this isnt you i wasnt refering to you specifically.
last election there were groups of people that said doma not repealled fast enough, dadt was still in place , gitmo still open , we still have troops in iraq and afghanistan therefore im not voting and we ended up with the teatards. now i see this 'Conventions leave atheists asking: What political party represents me?' and i think great another group gonna sit out the election
if this doesnt apply to you then im not refering to you

[Goblinmonger]

35. Did you see the vote to put it back in?

It required a 2/3 majority and the voice vote was even at best with some possibility of more than half against adding it back in but the chair held the vote 3 times with the same result and then just said it passed by 2/3 in his opinion when it clearly didn't. THAT is a huge "fuck you" to the process and to those that don't want it in the platform.

I wish there was something I could do to let the DNC know that this shit has to stop. But there isn't. I mean there is no way I'm voting R because they are all the god shit of the DNC on horse steroids. And I'm smart enough to know that not voting or voting 3rd party is just a vote for R. So I'm stuck holding my nose and voting D and unfortunately the DNC is going to just think they are doing things that are completely awesome because they got my vote. That sucks. Hopefully this sham of a vote to put "god" back in the platform causes some serious looks at what they did and are doing.

[leftyohiolib]

37. well i dont know how you would separate god from the democratic platform. you could take the name

out but it would still be a godly platfom. taking care of the least of us is in the democratic platform it's also a godly ideal. treating each other with respect and honor and dignity is a democratic ideal it's also a godly ideal.
i agree that we are a nation of laws and not of god but even our most basic laws are also part of the 10 commandments.
i dont like having god put back in b/c it sounds too much like pandering to me im not happy about 'one nation under god ' and when reciting that pledge i dont say it . i just didint want atheists to stay home and not vote over this.

[Goblinmonger]

38. The difference, to me, is two-fold

1. The inclusion of the word makes it seem like the stance of the party is that those things can ONLY come from god or a belief in god and that those without said belief could not have those traits.

2. It feels like a subtle indication that those without the belief in god are not part of the party since it is in the formal platform.

The 10 commandments are from things that predate them, too. Not killing each other is just pretty common sense for a society to continue.

I appreciate your position of not wanting it and the other instances included. And I don't think that, in the end, the atheists will stay home because, generally, we aren't a stupid bunch and we know what that really means. But I think this most recent vote that was forced through when the necessary 2/3 clearly didn't want it will result in some atheists being very pissed off at the DNC and they will cause a stir. When that happens, I hope progressives of faith support them.

[Humanist_Activist]

43. WTF is a "godly ideal". No seriously, if you want to go by the Bible, then genocide...

infanticide, killing unbelievers, etc. should also be in the Democratic party platform. Don't talk about godly in this context, its disgusting.

[leftyohiolib]

44. i never said i wanted to go by the bible. those are your words not mine

genocide infanticide and killing non-believers- is that all you got out of the bible?

[Humanist_Activist]

45. No, but the point is that it would take a VERY selective reading of the Bible...

to come up with "godly values" that are acceptable in modern secular society.

ON EDIT: This is assuming your either Christian or Jewish, if you are neither, and your god isn't the one in the Bible, then this doesn't apply to you, though I'd like you to articulate what these "godly values" are.

[rexcat]

27. Your opinion that atheists hate...

religion and the religious is just not correct. I have never seen any atheists on DU say they hate religion or the religious. That meme has been perpetrated by the religious without foundation. Many predominate religious leaders have stated this meme such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Catholic Popes, just to name a few. Just because you and others make outrageous statements like this does not make it true.

[leftyohiolib]

29. here it's more of a passive-aggressive hate. while they dont say they hate they do things like

refer to god as a magic sky wizard . belief in god as a weakness. you dont mock the people you like right? btw there are atheists who hate religion they no longer have faith because of one reason or another, they had someone they loved die , or some other tragedy befalls them they get cancer or go blind. they blame god then become atheists who hate religion and think that religious people are weak minded people who believe in magic sky wizards only b/c theyre afraid of dying.
lastly i said some atheists do, dont try and tell me they dont exist. if this is not you then i wasnt referring to you specifically

[rexcat]

31. Obviously...

you have a lot of prejudices against atheists. To mock religion and its concepts might be disrespectful but that does not confer hatred. If I were to say your use of the broad-stroke brush shows your "hatred" of atheists, that may be true or not. It seems to me you have a hard time dealing with valid criticisms of religion. That would seem to be your problem, not mine or any other atheist.

For me I will take rational thought over superstition any day. If you think differently, go for it. One thing I have learned is not to discuss religion in a social setting (DU is an internet thing so this forum does not count) becasue most religious people, be they right, left or center leaning, can't handle it. If someone askes me point blank about my religious beliefs or lack of I will discuss the issue with them but I will give them fair warning.

[leftyohiolib]

33. "For me I will take rational thought over superstition any day" thank you for proving my point

i have no problem what so ever with atheists i just dont appreciate them mocking me or my beliefs. i dont mock you for yours, you should show others the same basic line of common decency.

[rexcat]

39. It is a fact that religion...

is based on superstition. The definition of superstition:

noun
1. a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.
2. a system or collection of such beliefs.
3. a custom or act based on such a belief.
4. irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, especially in connection with religion.
5. any blindly accepted belief or notion.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/superstition

or

Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any physical process linking the two events, such as astrology, omens, witchcraft, etc., that contradicts natural science.

Opposition to superstition was a central concern of the intellectuals during the 18th century Age of Enlightenment. The philosophies at that time ridiculed any belief in miracles, revelation, magic, or the supernatural, as "superstition," and typically included as well much of Christian doctrine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition

I still don't hate you or your religion. More than anything I feel sorry for you because religion is based on irrational thought processes and has nothing to do with the natural world.

After this we can discuss your lack of proper grammar, syntax and sentence structure.

[dmallind]

7. meh - what else do you expect from an exclusionary supermajority?

Minorities in other senses - even by religious viewpoint as in the abovementioned Rabbis, which are far fewer in number than atheists, get a nod at least. But we're still too "unclean" for the major parties yet.

[dimbear]

9. Nobody is perfect. (We're just monkeys.) The Dems are better by far.

Life isn't a picnic. It's a struggle.
You get slapped, you get up if you can.

I've been insulted before. Probably will be again.

[Scuba]

12. The Dems far better represent this atheist.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. The 2012 and 2008 platforms are a lot better than the 2004 one

In 2008, and now in 2012, the one mention is

We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=78283

In 2004, it was infused with 'God' like a sermon:

That is the America we will build together – one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
...
We can do it in a way that safeguards all the greatness of America by protecting our people, securing our homeland, and reinforcing our values – faith and family, duty and service, individual freedom and a common purpose to build one nation under God.
...
No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe, as an American, you live in a land that offers you all the possibilities your hard work and God-given talent can bring.
...
God gave America extraordinary natural gifts; it is our responsibility to protect them.
...
That is how we will ensure that God's gifts of nature bless all of God's children for generations to come.
...
all of our people should have the opportunity to fulfill all of their potential, and each of us should be as equal in the eyes of the law as we are in the eyes of God.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29613

[MineralMan]

15. I'm a longstanding atheist.

I have no problem whatsoever knowing which party represents me. My politics have nothing to do with my atheism. I am a Democrat and have been one all my adult life. It is policies, not religion, that tells me which party to support.

[Silent3]

17. Most people aren't well and fully represented by any one political party...

...especially in a system like ours where there are only two major parties.

I don't like all this God bothering, but the Democratic Party is still hugely closer to my political ideals than the Republican party. I can't stand it when I see it in others that they give into cynicism or personal vanity because no one represents them quite as well as they seem to expect they should be represented across a broad range of issues, so they refuse to vote or vote for a hopeless third party candidate.

I have no intention of being that way myself. I'll swallow a few grievances, just like I expect everyone else to do, and I'll still direct my votes and my donations and maybe even some ground campaign time in support of the Democratic Party.

[Deep13]

18. Well, we are also deciding where foreign capitals should be.

إنصاف إلى الفلسطينيين

[fbguy_144]

19. None

sad to say..

[Humanist_Activist]

20. My question is, why do Christians have to insert their God in fucking EVERYTHING?

Seriously, didn't Jesus say you should pray in privacy, in a closet, must be doing Jesus proud!

[cbayer]

21. I was greatly disappointed that the god language was reinserted into the platform

and, having listened to the votes, think the chair did not follow the will of the delegates.

They had an opportunity here to be more inclusive but seemed more frightened of what they might lose in exchange.

That being said, the degree of overt religiosity at the Republican convention was pretty terrifying, and it seems a no brainer as to which party is less likely to move us every closer to a theocracy.

[Goblinmonger]

24. I appreciate that sentiment from you. n/t

[dimbear]

25. More proof we need to be able to rec posts.

Thank you.

[cbayer]

26. Thanks, dimbear. That's really nice of you.

[rexcat]

30. What a stupid hypothesis...

to think atheists are single-issue voters. I think we, as atheists, have come to the realization that no major political party will touch the atheist issue in this country in a serious way. We also realize there is enough prejudice on the right, center and left against our lack of religious beliefs to even think that this issue that is going to go by the wayside anytime soon. As an atheist, and I am only talking about how I feel since I don't speak for "all atheists" there are more important issues at this time to be concerned about such as the the national debt, immigration, education, Medicare, Social Security, employment, care for the poor, etc.

This OP seems to be more about flame-baiting than anything else.

[E_Pluribus_Unitarian]

32. CNN was a little misleading in their story...

The man in the picture was actually an Arab American who was protesting the Jerusalem part, not an atheist. I remember the guy. CNN conveniently cropped the writing for their purposes.

[rug]

34. Yeah. He was voting no to the reinsertion of God and Jerusalem as the capital into the platform.

[Goblinmonger]

36. Regardless of his reasons to vote no

it was pretty damn clear that there was no f'ing way that 2/3 of the people there voted in favor of the amendment. At best, they needed to do a ballot vote but in reality that measure failed and they just put it in there anyway. Which is straight up bullshit.

[rexcat]

40. It was more than obvious that

2/3 of the people did not approve of the change. They wanted the language put into the platform and that was it. Obama kowtowed to the republicans on this. I will vote for Obama but he will never get a dime of my money.

[dimbear]

41. Not planning to turn the other check? n/t

[rexcat]

42. You can turn it just so much.