It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to acknowledge that the vast majority — rightly or wrongly — perceives the nation as Christian based. So it comes as no surprise that an atheist running for some office has a snowball’s chance in hell as it was fifty years ago for a black candidate, other than in districts predominantly black. The non sequitur for this is that non-believers are therefore discriminated against and a violation of their civil rights.

One could argue that white candidates in a black community are also discriminated against, and if there were such a thing as an atheistic community — though rightists would have you believe that this is true of lefty districts — a candidate who believes in God would have no chance. Quasi-discrimination would also rear its head and reject a “girlie-man” legislator — implying he was gay or ultra liberal — if he in advance wore the label on his sleeve. A “Massachusetts liberal carries the same connotation and why the media had such fun in covering recent video clips of Kerry and Edwards hugging each other, despite the “manly” voter’s acceptance of extensive hugging in sports.

These perceptions, however, are not unconstitutional — notwithstanding fodder for the Anti-Defamation League — inasmuch as the constitution has no jurisdiction over how one is supposed to think other than espousing a move to overthrow the government. The atheist, simply because he is one, has no cause since it is idiotic to equate a non-belief with that of a belief — it is safe to take God out of the constitution but not out of common perceptions. To be wary over the domination of the Christian Right is perfectly viable as long as you at least believe in a religion of moderation, but it is self-defeating to proclaim that the world should be cleansed of religious views, tantamount to Michael Jackson’s inflictive psyche ordering him to be white, or imposing a non-theocratic government on Iraqis who had enough of that under Saddam.

If this sounds like “when in Rome...” it probably is. A southern candidate who stumps for “choice” is dead in the water, even though “choice” also implies the right not to abort. The atheist, as well as the homosexual, should be mature enough to hold personal preferences close to the vest; for when a nation publicly announces democratic principles as God’s Law, democracy is on a fast track to authoritarianism, so one had better be dishonest.

Copyright © 2004 Richard R. Kennedy All rights reserved. Revised: July, 20, 2004.