I think the system is different in Canada - the PM is the leader of the party with the most members in parliament. So, you could have an atheist as PM without too much fuss being made of it (at least, I hope so).
It would interesting to see what would happen in the US, if you had a Muslim being the candidate for one party and an atheist as the candidate for the other party...probably not in my lifetime
I have no idea which specific religion Nenshi, Redford, and Harper proclaim to be, and honestly, don't really care. To me, it's more a case of the degree of religion and how much it impacts their decision making in terms of policy......the more religious they are, the less I trust them to make a fair decision.
Last edited by Table 5; 11-05-2012 at 11:47 AM.
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Table 5 For This Useful Post:
There may not be a "belt" but there are plenty of areas.
Driving up from the Montana border last month, I saw about 5-6 Pro Life billboards put up by some religious groups on the drive to Calgary....sure made it seem pretty bible-belt feeling.
Driving up from the Montana border last month, I saw about 5-6 Pro Life billboards put up by some religious groups on the drive to Calgary....sure made it seem pretty bible-belt feeling.
Oh I agree.
I always think, rightly or wrongly, of the US Bible Belt as a string of states in the south, an actual belt per se.
__________________
Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
I'm sure many Presidential candidates have been atheists inwardly, but not openly.
So am I, but I'm actaully asking when is the last time an openly atheist man or woman ran for president since the picture quote says they wouldn't be elected if they were an atheist.
Driving up from the Montana border last month, I saw about 5-6 Pro Life billboards put up by some religious groups on the drive to Calgary....sure made it seem pretty bible-belt feeling.
I know the ones you're talking about. They're pretty embarrassing.
I think it's quite possible in Canada, both because of the 'mosaic' culture, as well as - like ah123 says - the parliamentary system. We have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy about religion in politics in Canada. Even when it's essentially a moral issue, Canadian politicians tend not to evoke God. Generally, any PM candidate speaking up about religion has tended to be impacted negatively rather than positively (Stockwell Day comes to mind here). I think Canadians would similarly reject an atheist who suggested that atheism gave him any advantages as a politician.
Openly Atheist Prime Minister...
