The Constitution (Article II, Section I) on the eligibility requirements for the Presidency:
No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United
States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be
eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be
eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of
thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United
States.
Now maybe Mitt Romney has his own personal version of the Constitution, or he’s just stupid, but in his version it apparently says you have to believe in God. Granted, everyone who’s had the job has at least professed to believe in God (and some of them act like the Devil) but it’s not a requirement.
What’s really sad is the fact that I will likely never see a Congressman, much less a President, who professes an atheistic view. I’m not sure why there is such a stigma against atheists in this country… but then again, I don’t understand the bigotry towards homosexuals, blacks, hispanics, or any other minority group of note…
He apparently has also not read Article VI of the Constitution, which ends with the following paragraph:
The rules didn’t bother him when he ran for governor of Massachusetts.
Remember that little residency issue that cropped up when he made the “mistake” of claiming a $50,000 Utah residency income tax deduction, then had to return it to show he was a resident of Massachusetts to qualify for the governor’s race.
Friday night on Real Time Bill Maher had an amusing segment on Mormonism and some of its beliefs.
Face it, the US is a quasi-theocracy and being a Sleeve Bearing Christian is the key to the Capitol Hill gates.
Oliver, just because you’re a heathen doesn’t mean everyone else has to be. I’m not defending Mitt’s remarks, but if you’re so mad about it that you wrote a post on it;then I’m assuming you will not be voting in 2008. I mean, if you did, you’d be a hypocrite, no?
Interestingly I think the heckler’s remarks point out the wisdom of the founders in adding those words to the constitution and the stupidity of those who insist that this is “a Christian nation”. Although Mormons profess to follow Christ, despite a number of 19th century add-ons, for the heckler this isn’t enough. Unless one follows the right “brand” of Christianty, one is not Christian enough. Not enough to be a person “of faith”. Not enough to be “a christian”. Not enough the be a Protestant. For many unless one is of the North American Baptist Convention, 1915 Reform, you’re not really good enough. Europe burned a lotta people and had a lotta wars over exactly this kind of bullshit.
Once again, your logical leaps amuse me. 1) You assume I’m not Christian, 2) You assume even I’m not that I wouldn’t vote for a Christian. Neither assumption is correct, and I’m not mad at Romney, just acknowledging the fact that the right is behind another mental midget.
I’m adding Ian’s name to the list of people who make my head hurt.
I am an atheist. Does this mean that I shouldn’t vote, simply because no candidate shares my religious views? Or does it mean that I should vote for someone who respects my right to be an atheist, and respects atheists in general as people? Because it would be a stretch for you to claim that Romney’s comments do not effectively reduce American-born atheists.
heathen?
Ian, since you’re stuck in the 1700’s and i assume you own no land, you won’t be voting in 2008, correct?