Why were a disproportionate number of early presidents and founding fathers unitarians, deists, or had an unknown religious affiliation? Many have speculated that these politicians were atheists, but they knew they couldn't get elected as atheists. In some states, there are still laws banning atheists from holding public office, but they are not currently enforced. Some of the past presidents could have also been truly deists who did not believe in an interventionist god. Other than the Unitarian Universalist Church and its predecessors, other places where atheists hide are in the United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Unity Church, and certain liberal branches of the Methodist and Episcopalian denominations. Taft was a member of a Unitarian Universalist church and had to deny rumors that he was an atheist. In modern times, some have speculated that Obama and Trump are atheists. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_affiliations_of_presidents_of_the_United_States
I think Obama accidentally made his feelings clear with his "They cling to guns or religion" comment. But c'mon, Donald "Two Corinthians" Trump sells Bibles! He must be religious!
The United Church of Canada is Canada’s largest Protestant denomination, formed by a 1925 merger mainly of Methodists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians. It’s mainline and predominantly very liberal, but when Toronto local church minister Gretta Vosper, who had come out as openly atheist in 2013, made further outspoken statements in church controversies, opponents within the denomination launched a process to review her ministerial credentials. The process ended with a 2018 settlement under which she continues to work as a minister in the church.
In polls, most Americans don't believe that Trump is religious. I don't think his supporters care that he's a pretend Christian. They're pragmatic and see him as a useful tool for their goals. The left lacks that pragmatism.
Not believing in a supreme being isn't disqualifying? LOL. I think I heard about a denomination in the U.S. that didn't yank an open atheist of his credentials, and his church members still show up to services.
Hard question. There are a few "humanist" Jewish congregations that find belief in God unnecessary. I'm not sure that what a Jew believes is anyone's business. What matters is what that Jew does. But outright atheism seems like a bridge too far for the Establishment. I think the idea itself is curious. The being or non being of God however understood would not seem to depend on a human attitude. It really isn't a human being's "business" so to speak.
I would suggest that the Democratic effort to convince Biden to step aside--and for Biden to do it--is as pragmatic as it gets. So much so that the Republicans STILL don't know what to make of it all, much less what to do about it.
There is a whole range of spectrum of people and the level of their faith in heavenly powers. Some whith the time exchanged the Bible by a NY Times and now by Social Media. Appears to be generational and with each generation the distance grows further.
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06.html#:~:text=The%20first%20two%20Presidents%20of,strong%20rhetorical%20support%20for%20religion.
