Religion and Politics make all of us fools

A 2012 Gallup poll reveals the absurd nature of politics in America and it’s passion for attaching significance to mythology.

Only fifty-four percent of the people asked said they would vote for an atheist as President. Considering the deep-seated fear by conservatives of Muslims, it’s not surprising that only fifty-eight percent of Americans would be willing to vote for a Muslim President, but that’s four points better than someone who doesn’t believe in a god.

Less than half (48%) of Republicans, those champions of the Old Testament, were willing to vote for a President who doesn’t believe in a mythological god, but they prefer an atheist over a Muslim by one point.

Support for a non-religious President by Age Group

Age is a factor. Younger adults are willing to vote for a President without a mythological attachment, but the older the person, the more important mythology becomes in political leadership. Those in the 50 and 64 age group matched the Republican willingness to support a non-religious President (48%,) but only forty percent of the people in the 65+ age group are willing to consider an atheist President.

I know some people believe that a person who believes in a god is more moral, but the facts don’t support this concept. As of 2011, less than ten percent of Americans believed in a god. It’s not plausible that such a small percentage of Americans are responsible for all the immoral behavior in the United States. In addition, the number of immoral incidents by people who closely associate themselves with a religion occur constantly, and politicians of religious convictions are hardly poster children for moral behavior.

The problem with favoring politicians who claim a link to a god is that religious beliefs have no standards. The Bible or any other authoritative text is used to justify any point of view. People of religion have abused the ‘written’ word of their beliefs to the point that there is no credibility to believe they are guided by any better principles than those who do not use mythology as a basis for moral behavior.