The Bogosity Forum

General Bogosity => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lord T Hawkeye on November 14, 2009, 10:49:54 PM

Title: Atheist presidents?
Post by: Lord T Hawkeye on November 14, 2009, 10:49:54 PM
I've sometimes said I'd be pleasantly surprised to see an atheist president elected but was even more surprised to find Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson listed in Thinking Atheist's list of famous atheists.

Some disagree about this though.  Were they atheists?  Were there any other presidents who were atheists on that note?
Title: Re: Atheist presidents?
Post by: Travis Retriever on November 15, 2009, 08:23:30 AM
Quote from: Lord T Hawkeye on November 14, 2009, 10:49:54 PM
I've sometimes said I'd be pleasantly surprised to see an atheist president elected but was even more surprised to find Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson listed in Thinking Atheist's list of famous atheists.

Some disagree about this though.  Were they atheists?  Were there any other presidents who were atheists on that note?
Abe Lincoln is NOT someone we'd want to be associated with.
I think Thomas Jefferson was actually a Deist (from what I've heard).  I could be wrong though.
Title: Re: Atheist presidents?
Post by: Lord T Hawkeye on November 15, 2009, 10:25:34 PM
Deist as in believes there is a god but does not follow any religion?
Title: Re: Atheist presidents?
Post by: Travis Retriever on November 15, 2009, 10:29:49 PM
Quote from: Lord T Hawkeye on November 15, 2009, 10:25:34 PM
Deist as in believes there is a god but does not follow any religion?
I believe so.
Title: Re: Atheist presidents?
Post by: MrBogosity on November 16, 2009, 08:32:38 AM
Deists believe that God created the universe, wound it up and set it going, and then left to pursue other interests.
Title: Re: Atheist presidents?
Post by: Lord T Hawkeye on November 16, 2009, 12:51:56 PM
Ah, for all practical purposes, that's close enough to atheism for me.  ^^