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cockswain's avatar

Who is more likely to be elected US President sooner, an atheist or a Muslim?

Asked by cockswain (15286points) May 26th, 2010

Question is pretty self-explanatory. Perhaps you could include some rationale behind your reasoning.

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15 Answers

Blackberry's avatar

That is a good question lol. But I think an atheist, and my reasoning is the stigma that 9/11 and other events have left on the american people. More people are (very slowly) becoming more tolerant to people with secular beliefs because they are more valid in this modern world.

ragingloli's avatar

A muslim President.
Atheists are the least trusted minority in the US, even less trusted than Muslims after 9/11.

Blackberry's avatar

@ragingloli Whoa! I was thinking the same thing, but I didn’t want to believe it lol.

ragingloli's avatar

@Blackberry
Well, it is true, sadly.
Here the reference

Ron_C's avatar

I would expect that the overly religious Amreicans would elect a Muslim before an atheist.

Blackberry's avatar

@ragingloli That is disturbing…....Although I have a theory as well. To put it simply, I think there are still a lot of older, or elderly americans that have lived through the past that are still a significant part of the population. I am surprised a lot by younger people I meet that either don’t believe in god or don’t like/don’t follow any religion because they know it’s not necessary. So maybe after this next generation has grown up we should do the same poll lol.

Rarebear's avatar

How about an atheist Muslim?

filmfann's avatar

I think we have already had an atheist president. James Monroe.
Nixon thought he was God, so he doesn’t count.
And Obama is our first muslim, according to Rush Limburger

Sarcasm's avatar

Short answer: Atheist.

Long answer: Americans will elect women, more non-Whites, and Jewish people before an atheist or a Muslim is elected.
The Republican party in its current form will never put a non-Christian up as its candidate. Christianity is absolutely the base for Republican beliefs. So the Atheists and Muslims will have to duke it out within 3rd parties and the Democratic party. So we will never see a big showdown between an Atheist and a Muslim in the final presidential election.

Despite the fact that in 2006 Atheists were voted to be least trusted (source), I think the xenophobes in America are more afraid of Muslims. It seems that they think all terrorists are Muslims, and all Muslims are friends with one-another, so any Muslim candidate also has beers with Saddam on Friday nights, plotting world domination.
Meanwhile, they may think Atheism is laughable, or that it’s even unamerican, I don’t think they are afraid of Atheists being terrorists.
Terrorism is a pretty hot issue these days.

Primobabe's avatar

@ragingloli Atheists are the least trusted minority in the US

True. As a non-spiritual, non-believer, I describe myself as agnostic. In an odd way, atheism seems to be a sort of religion; instead of worshipping a deity, an atheist firmly believes that there is no deity. There’s quite a bit of conviction (faith?) behind that principle.

filmfann's avatar

I don’t think I would trust an atheist any more or less than a muslim, a jew, or a hindu.
I don’t see a lack of belief as an attribute.

jaytkay's avatar

We don’t have a muslim president?

/ Kidding

I suspect we’ve had a lot of atheists who thought admitting it publicly was inexpedient.

AstroChuck's avatar

An atheist. I’m pretty sure we’ve had more than one as POTUS.

Simone_De_Beauvoir's avatar

My gut feeling says a Muslim will become President sooner than an atheist. GQ, made me wonder why I felt that way.

Blackberry's avatar

I just remembered…..Just the actual thought of people considering putting a muslim house of worship near the 9/11 site is another reason why a muslim (Why does this computer want me to capitalize ‘muslim’....) would be elected first lol.

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