The First Openly Godless Member of Congress (Truthdig, via AlterNet)

[marmar]

The First Openly Godless Member of Congress

By Ellen Goodman, Truthdig. Posted March 24, 2007.



Representative Pete Stark is the highest-ranking politician in American history say publicly that he doesn't believe a "supreme being" -- but believes that real political courage is saying, "Let's tax the rich and give money to poor kids."

He's not exactly a profile in courage. After all, Pete Stark is 75 and has represented his liberal district near San Francisco for more than 30 years. It's unlikely that he'll be tarred and feathered or sent packing for admitting that he's, well, a godless politician.

Nevertheless, Stark recently broke a political taboo. He became the first member of Congress to say publicly that he doesn't believe in "a supreme being." The next most powerful politician to identify himself as a "non-theist" in response to a question by the Secular Coalition for America was a school board president in Berkeley.

Some described Stark's admission as "coming out of the closet." Others rued the fact that God was not on his side. A spokesman for the Concerned Women for America unabashedly bashed him, saying that "a Christian worldview is proper for a politician to have."

Not surprisingly, Stark has no ambitions for the presidency. In one of those endless polls surveying whether we are "ready for" a black, a woman, a Jew or others to be president, only 14 percent of Americans believe we're ready for an atheist. What Stark has done, however, is open a fresh chapter in this year's hefty book on presidential politics and religion. ....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/49632/

[Vexatious Ape]

1. I have adopted him as my Rep.

Sam Harris mentioned him in this article:
http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/gods-dupes1/

[AX10]

2. He has every right to have his view.

And yes, he is fully qualified to be the President!

[leftofthedial]

3. non-believer are the most discriminated against minority in America

by far

[Briar]

4. "a Christian worldview is proper for a politician to have."

Good grief. Quite apart from a total deafness to the music of the English language, this Concerned Christian Woman is apparently morally blilnd as well. So Iraq, Guantanamo, torture, contempt for human rights and international law are Christian, are they?