Is America an elected theocracy?

[Knife]

What do you think? Most Americans want a Christian leader. We've broken the race barrier, but will we break this barrier?

[Emblem Lugh]

What do you think? Most Americans want a Christian leader. We've broken the race barrier, but will we break this barrier?

I hope so. Religion seems to be the root of all evil in the gov't.

[lolDeath]

I don't think going as far as calling it a theocracy is correct, but there is a serious problem caused by the amount of ignorant middle class white Christian voters. As far as when it will be broken, I have no idea, so I'll give it my default "50 years" answer.

Lakche.. really? Not greed, but religion?

Edited January 24, 2009 by Death

[Der Kommissar]

There's no such thing as a root of all evil, considering evil is subjective and even the most concrete examples spring from many sources.

America is not governed by explicit religious laws, so no, it's not a theocracy, despite what some want. American politics are strongly influenced by Christianity, obviously.

[Emblem Lugh]

Lakche.. really? Not greed, but religion?

Those two seem to go hand-in-hand. Religion can be used to get what you want (out of greed). Though, that point may be invalid because they are two separate things. This is probably my bias talking, so I'll refrain from saying anything else. >_>

[Herr Wozzeck]

I remember that people were afraid of Kennedy since he was the first President that was not of a Protestant denomination. If people elected a Roman Catholic into office out of all of the Protestant Presidents they had before then, then I think that we can elect a President of a non-Christianity denomination sometime in the future.

Although, on a side note, to my understanding religion didn't have that much of a place in politics until the Neo-Conservative movement took hold in America and all this stuff referring to religion (pro-life, anti-gay-rights, etc.). I still think the Neo-Conservative movement in general is a bad thing, as from it we get people like people like Ann Coulter who are so stupid you wonder why God wouldn't just strike the damn people with lightning already.

[burning_phoneix]

As America is ruled by elected politicians and not clerics then no, I'd can't say it's a theocracy in any way shape or form.

[Junkhead]

I hate theocracy, they make people have a common religion.

[Ragnell]

Honestly, the US's government is ruled by the majority. As long as the majority of the country is Christian, then Christian values will continue to exist in our government. Regardless of whether this is good or not, the country was also founded on Christian values, so those will probably continue for some time.

And besides the fact that I completely disagree with you calling the US a theocracy, religion in government won't end until people vote for it to end. The people hold the power.

[Doom103]

The US isn't a theocracy

We voted a Roman Catholic and the world didn't fall apart, I don't care if your a black guy with Arab parents and your a jew with a brother who is into Scientology if I feel like you can do a good job I would vote for you

[Not Changed by VASM :(]

I hope so. Religion seems to be the root of all evil in the gov't.

NOOOOOO

The root of all evil is Republicans.

DUH!

[Emblem Lugh]

NOOOOOO

The root of all evil is Republicans.

DUH!

I'm not evil. ;_;

[Inactive Account]

A theocracy would imply that everyone *must* follow a state religion, and the leaders of that religion are the leaders of the government. So no, America is not a theocracy.

[Esau of Isaac]

What do you think? Most Americans want a Christian leader. We've broken the race barrier, but will we break this barrier?

It's going to be kind of hard to break a barrier that doesn't exist. America is not and has not at any point in its history been a theocracy.

As for whether an individual not of Christian beliefs gets elected, it won't be happening soon.

[Bohemund]

America is not a theocracy, as religion doesn't dictate how our leaders rule. It's a faulty way to vote. Basically people vote for a person with a similar religion in belief they have similiar morals in which they will run the country with. That and our founding fathers were Christian, no?

I don't know how long it would last, personally, but didn't they recently have "In God We Trust" taken off coins or whatever? It cause quite a stir, so I doubt such change will be any time soon.

[California Mountain Snake]

You ever hear a little kid who hasn't eaten for a couple hours and he says that he's STARVING?

Now really, just because you're hungry, are you really starving?

Yeah, America is not a theocracy.

[Blacken]

Those two seem to go hand-in-hand. Religion can be used to get what you want (out of greed). Though, that point may be invalid because they are two separate things. This is probably my bias talking, so I'll refrain from saying anything else. >_>

We call that "ignorance" where I'm from. (But that's OK, maybe you'll grow up in time.) Regardless of a power's religious beliefs, a position can be formulated that lets you screw everybody else. It happens all the time.

Although, on a side note, to my understanding religion didn't have that much of a place in politics until the Neo-Conservative movement took hold in America and all this stuff referring to religion (pro-life, anti-gay-rights, etc.). I still think the Neo-Conservative movement in general is a bad thing, as from it we get people like people like Ann Coulter who are so stupid you wonder why God wouldn't just strike the damn people with lightning already.

Wait...somebody with a clue? I didn't know that was OK here.

Honestly, the US's government is ruled by the majority. As long as the majority of the country is Christian, then Christian values will continue to exist in our government. Regardless of whether this is good or not, the country was also founded on Christian values, so those will probably continue for some time.

Two of them?

And besides the fact that I completely disagree with you calling the US a theocracy, religion in government won't end until people vote for it to end. The people hold the power.

OK, one and a half.

The people don't "hold the power" in the United States anymore. It is split so very thinly that the media (which swings the people between the forty yard lines, so to speak) holds primacy.

I'm not evil. ;_;

If you support modern neoconservatism? Yes, you most certainly are. The modern neoconservative movement is intellectually bankrupt, devoid of actual conservative ideologies, and is as authoritarian as anything on the left. It is morally and ethically cretinous and its supporters even more so.

The last good conservative with any voice was Goldwater.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Blacken

[Not Changed by VASM :(]

I'm not evil. ;_;

Ler2sarcasm

[Altera the Hun]

What do you think? Most Americans want a Christian leader. We've broken the race barrier, but will we break this barrier?

Kennedy was Catholic. That was a fairly large religeon barrier, since before Kennedy, Americans were afraid that if a Catholic took office, America would be run by the Pope.

As for religeons not part of Christianity at all, it's only a matter of time before we get an Aethiest of Jewish president; Neither of which seem very far off.

[grandjackal]

No, America isn't a theocracy. We're behind the times. There's a difference.

Example. Major part of our latest president's run for the presidency was what his religion was. He himself was christian, but he could rarely even mention some of his family WASN'T christian and were in fact muslim. The fact he thought he had to hide this simply as not to scare the people out of voting for him should say something. It shouldn't even have been an issue in the first place, but it was made into one...

Edited January 29, 2009 by Grandjackal

[Duff Ostrich]

As someone with no particular religious beliefs, I can say that the candidates religion does matter to me. Not all faiths are created equal, and some bother me more than others.

But a theocracy? Never.

[Father Wood]

If you support modern neoconservatism? Yes, you most certainly are. The modern neoconservative movement is intellectually bankrupt, devoid of actual conservative ideologies, and is as authoritarian as anything on the left. It is morally and ethically cretinous and its supporters even more so.

If you have a different opinon on how things should be done this makes you evil? What's the world coming to!?

Edited January 29, 2009 by Yourgranny

[Herr Wozzeck]

If you have a different opinon on how things should be done this makes you evil? What's the world coming to!?

It's their lack of intelligence that they use to back their options that incited that comment. There's nothing wrong with different ideas, we just wish they were portrayed by people who were able to back their ideas with factual evidence instead of random stuff. Ever heard of Anne Coulter? This is the summary of the lack of intelligence that is the extremities of the neo-conservative movement.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Edgard Varése

[Kintenbo]

Theocracy, we are not, but religion does have a big impact on votes. I know my grandmother would never dream of voting for a Muslim (which she doesn't not like at all, more than Democrats), even if he were Republican. (judging she's alive by the next election, she's very old) A lot of American traditions have Christian roots, but the government would have to be run by some sort of priest to be a Theocracy.

[California Mountain Snake]

No, America isn't a theocracy. We're behind the times. There's a difference.

Example. Major part of our latest president's run for the presidency was what his religion was. He himself was christian, but he could rarely even mention some of his family WASN'T christian and were in fact muslim. The fact he thought he had to hide this simply as not to scare the people out of voting for him should say something. It shouldn't even have been an issue in the first place, but it was made into one...

Dead wrong. Barack Obama's mother was a typical white Kansas Christian, and by the time his father moved to the United States he was a "practicing" atheist. The president did not "hide" anything. But don't let this ruin your tea time with Bill O'reily.

And despite what people may assume about America being "behind the times", I would first say such a claim is relative, and since most self-effacing Americans (read: pussies) seem to bow their heads to some mystical power called Europe, I would remind you that in mainland Europe there are many parties which are explicitly based in religion or support pan-national and ethnocentric viewpoints, whether the Christian Democratic Union in Germany (currently controls the government) or the linguistic-ethnic based parties in Belgium, and radical national parties in almost every mainland country (although their share of the parliaments in most cases are minimal). America is still under the influence of tradition and religion in our policies, but to say we're "behind the times" lacks proof. Despite how much some people (pussies) deride America's tolerance, I can tell you we will probably see a president from every religion and minority group before we ever see a chancellor of Turkish decent in Germany.