Lucky us we won’t be denied our freedom if he gets elected president. On the other hand, apparently the Constitution was written for people of faith and religion and not for us atheists. So, although we can be free we have no constitutional rights, or something, it’s all very vague and defensive. So I will let you interpret it for yourself.
Insert shouting here. Then more shouting. Finally, above the fray, a question:
“I’m wondering why you didn’t mention non-religious people in your speech yesterday, number one, and also what you meant by ‘freedom requires religion’?” asked a reporter.
An important point–but Romney deflected. “I’m paraphrasing something that’s been said both by John Adams and George Washington,” he said. “Which is that, in their view, for a nation like ours to be great and to thrive… that our Constitution was written for a people of faith and religion [bold mine – afarensis]. It’s a very extraordinary element and foundation for our nation. I believe that’s the case.”
Unsatisfied, another reporter pounced. “Do you think an atheist or non-believer or non-spiritual person can’t therefore be a free person?” he asked.
“Of course not,” Romney responded. “That’s not what I said.”
“But you said ‘freedom requires religion’?”
“I’m talking about the nation,” Romney snapped. Next question.
So, if atheists can be free without religion, it seems to follow that our nation can be free without religion as well. Mitt doesn’t seem to be helping himself.
Filed under: Atheism and Religion |
Afarensis: Anthropology, Evolution, and Science 
Seems pretty clear to me. Apparently, we have just as much freedom as Mitt and all the other magic thinking people. We just can’t be let near the Constitution. I shudder to think what I’d do if I was left alone with that parchment. I might wrap it around a baby brain, dowse it with Sriracha and eat it.
Seems pretty clear to me. Apparently, we have just as much freedom as Mitt and all the other magic thinking people. We just can’t be let near the Constitution. I shudder to think what I’d do if I was left alone with that parchment. I might wrap it around a baby brain, dowse it with Sriracha and eat it.
Could be worse. At least Romney doesn’t believe (as does Huckabee) that “According to the laws of aeronautics a bumblebee can’t fly.”
Only to one who is not honestly trying to understand what he meant. The basic idea seems to be that religion is keeping your country virtuous, which leads to freedom, which can be enjoyed by all, not only by those whose religious virtue helped secure it.
Funny, I wasn’t free until I disposed of religion in my life. It’s like saying “You can’t have freedom without handcuffs.”
Or “mindcuffs”
Anyone else surprised by the fact that we seem to have at least two reporters sticking up for us? I guess they weren’t from the Paula Zahn show…
That’s just as muddled as what Mitt was saying. You seem to be implying that Atheists are incapable of virtue and securing their own freedom and have to rely on the religionists to do it for them, or am I missing something?
There are signs around the town I live in attributing a quote to George Washington: It is impossible to justly govern without God and the Bible. What is left off the billboard and out of Romney’s response is that this is a false quote. The quote first appeared in a text book and from there reprinted in other text books and general history books. Original transcripts of the speech the textbook purports as a source does not actually contain the line. Furthermore, the textbook’s version contains lines from other speeches. I don’t know about John Adams, but George Washington is being misrepresented.
FCD, I don’t think brtkrbzhnv was saying that was his opinion, he was just making a more reasonable interpretation of what Mitt was saying, and I have to agree that this is likely to be what he meant. You don’t have to like it, but it’s still slightly better than Bush sr’s: “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.”
I’ve read a book that actually complains that the writers of the constitution weren’t Christians. They were Masons. I think I’d rather have Masons making my laws than Christians. Or Muslims. Or Jews. Or people of any other religion.
I’m glad I don’t live in the US of A. We’re much freer from religions tentacles down under.
“FCD, I don’t think brtkrbzhnv was saying that was his opinion, he was just making a more reasonable interpretation of what Mitt was saying…”
The problem is that brtkrbzhnv’s interpretation, while perhaps an accurate statement of Mitt’s position, is hardly “reasonable”. It doesn’t make any sense.
Hmmmmm. . . . The Founders of our country were religous men, all right — well, most of them, anyway. But they were religious men of the 18th century, who, at the same time, created a document in the shape of our Constitution, which is actually very flexible. Last I heard, the Constitution still separated church from state, just the way the Founders thought it should be. Mitt Romney should read that document a little more carefully, before pronouncinig on freedom and religion. BTW, I’m neither antireligious nor anti-atheist, and a firm believer in evolution, amongo other things.
Anne G
I’m paraphrasing something that’s been said by Willard: I’m really almost just exactly like you–so together we can hate the same Others. Any jet pilot who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. We do not insist on a single strain of religion–just a select few. We fear theocratic tyranny, but only of the sort brought in by illegal aliens.
I’m paraphrasing something that’s been said by Willard: I’m really almost just exactly like you–so together we can hate the same Others. Any jet pilot who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. We do not insist on a single strain of religion–just a select few. We fear theocratic tyranny, but only of the sort brought in by illegal aliens.
I can’t believe this, does he not have anyone on his staff watching the news and seeing how upset people are with this? I mean, I guess he just doesn’t care, which bothers me that much more.