Joy Behar Asks Miss America: Would You Vote For An Atheist?

David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog ^ | January 29, 2011 | Walter Hudson

[Walter Scott Hudson]

17-year-old Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan, won the 2011 Miss America Crown(...)

Pageant judge Joy Behar asked the contestant whether she would vote for an atheist.

"Yes," she answered.

She's not old enough to vote yet, but when Scanlan is of age, her vote will be based on political policies, not on religion.

Scanlan's response is in keeping with the ongoing results of an online poll at the website God Discussion, a site which deems itself "a place for seekers who do not want to go to church." At the time of this writing, of 323 respondents, 93% agree with Scanlan. A mere 5% have said they would not vote for an atheist, with only 2% unsure.

Surely, this is not a scientific poll. However, there are more reliable statistics which prompted the question.

One of the fastest growing 'religious' groups in America is the non-religious, which makes up at least 13% of the population. Among younger people, the percentage is even higher, at 35-40%.

This group is poorly represented in Congress, where the majority of members claim that they are Protestant, followed by Catholic as the second highest faith claimed by Congress members. Congress has only one atheist, Rep. Peter Stark of California.

How about it? Would you vote for an atheist? Such hypothetical questions are of limited practical use, since there are many factors which affect our regard for a real candidate. However, it is still interesting to consider what affect a candidate's professed atheism might have upon our vote if all else were equal.

[Tempest]

Yeah like the atheist isn’t just talking out of his arse. It’s foolish not to see that.

Apparently core values is a concept lost on some...

[Tempest]

Would you vote for a fundalmentalist Christian or Muslim as long as they told you what you wanted to hear?

[aft_lizard]

Told what I wanted to hear? Absolutely fricking not. I would vote for them if they voted what they say and what they vote matches my politics. It’s simple. We are NOT a THEOCRACY, and I pray to God that WE NEVER ARE. I believe America and it’s people come first and in General Christian beliefs match American constitutional beliefs. But that doesn’t mean that an Atheist is something bad because he isn’t Christian if he votes my way.