Dr. Herb Silverman is the Founder of the Secular Coalition for America, the Founder of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, and the Founder of the Atheist/Humanist Alliance student group at the College of Charleston. He authored Complex variables (1975), Candidate Without a Prayer: An Autobiography of a Jewish Atheist in the Bible Belt (2012) and An Atheist Stranger in a Strange Religious Land: Selected Writings from the Bible Belt (2017). He co-authored The Fundamentals of Extremism: The Christian Right in America (2003) with Kimberley Blaker and Edward S. Buckner, Complex Variables with Applications (2007) with Saminathan Ponnusamy, and Short Reflections on Secularism (2019).
Here we talk about American freethinker, or not, presidents.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Over time, I have heard
or more often read repeated mumblings and murmurings from some American
freethinkers of the possibility of major leaders, including presidents, of the
United States being closet atheists or agnostics. However, most of the former presidents
lived in even more religious times than America now. In that social climate,
they remained quiet because citizens – a hunk of them – vote via political
affiliation in association with religion.
If a Christian candidate, and open about it, a large
sector of Americans seem to vote for them, as a Christian, as a Christian seen
as a good person, and so on. How has the secular and philosophical landscape of
Americans been influenced, impacted, by the voting records on religion? How
many presidents, statistically, in American history were or are, probably,
atheists or agnostics? What would be the fate of an open atheist or agnostic
president for their political life? I recall the retort if you won the
governorship, “Demand a recount!”
Dr. Herb Silverman: Religious
beliefs of American presidents are difficult to determine, perhaps indeterminable.
We can learn what they profess to believe and what church they attend, but I am
often skeptical about what they truly believe. Let’s look at the last two
presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, both of whom are professed
Christians.
Barack
Obama had an atheist father and was raised by a secular humanist mother whose
values he embraced. He used to say he was an agnostic, but he became a
Christian when he ran for public office. At least Obama embraces some positive
values of Christianity, like concern for immigrants and the poor, caring about
your neighbor, honesty, and respect for the environment.
What Christian
principles does Donald Trump embrace, unless you consider it Christian to
nominate judges put forth by conservative white evangelicals? I know he disagrees
with Luke 6:29: “If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer your other cheek.” I
couldn’t find a biblical passage that says, “Slap him back ten times harder.”
Nor does Trump follow Luke 14:1: “He who exalts himself will be humbled, and he
who humbles himself will be exalted.” Many of us wish Trump would heed Proverbs
12:15: “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to
advice.”
Trump refused
to disclose his tax returns because he claims they are under audit. He added, “Maybe
I get audited so much because I’m a strong Christian.” Really? How much faith
does that statement require? I think Donald Trump is an atheist because I can’t
picture him believing in a power higher than himself. On the other hand, Trump might
think that he is a god.
Given that
presidents are usually smart and thoughtful people, I would think that quite a
few who called themselves Christians did not believe most of the doctrines of
their faith. There are at least 18 non-Christian presidents: George Washington
(Deist), John Adams (Unitarian), Thomas Jefferson (Deist), James Madison
(Deist), James Monroe (Deist), John Quincy Adams (Unitarian), John Tyler
(Deist), Millard Fillmore (Unitarian), Abraham Lincoln (probably Deist),
William Howard Taft (Unitarian), Dwight D. Eisenhower (no church until he
became president). Many Unitarians also considered themselves Deists. Unaffiliated
presidents are Ulysses S. Grant, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Johnson, and
Rutherford B. Hayes. Probable nonbelievers include Martin Van Buren, Zachary
Taylor, and Chester A. Arthur. If you include Quakers as non-Christian (which
many Christians do), we can add Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon.
Should the
religious beliefs of a politician matter? They should if the
person’s religious faith interferes with the duties and oath of office. I like
what John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic president, said during his campaign: “I believe in an America where the separation
of church and state is absolute.” And Kennedy governed as if he were an
atheist, which I suspect he might have been because it appeared that he did
nothing more than follow certain rituals. While I would like to see President
Trump impeached and convicted, I worry about his successor. It would be
Christian fundamentalist VP Mike Pence. At the Republican national convention,
Pence said, “I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican in that order.” This
sounds like he would govern by imposing some of his unconstitutional Christian
values on the rest of us.
When now-Senator
Jamie Raskin (D-MD) testified at a Maryland State Senate hearing in 2006 in support
of gay marriage, Republican State Senator Nancy Jacobs said: “Mr. Raskin, my
Bible says marriage is only between a man and a woman. What do you have to say
about that?” Raskin replied: “Senator, when you took your oath of office, you
placed your hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. You did not
place your hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.”
I would much
rather see a non-religious American president than a religious one, who might pledge his or her
highest allegiance to religion instead of to the oath of office. Religious
conviction must never interfere with the purely secular responsibilities
associated with holding the highest office in America.
While
politicians are reluctant to come out of the closet as atheists, there have
been some non-religious gains. A Congressional Freethought Caucus was formed in
2018. This was a milestone for nonreligious Americans
in our continual struggle for inclusion in the political process and
recognition as a constituency. The Caucus promotes public policy formed on the
basis of reason, science, and moral values. It protects the secular character
of our government by adhering to the strict separation of church and state. It
opposes discrimination against atheists, agnostics, humanists, seekers,
religious and nonreligious persons, and champions the value of freedom of
thought and conscience worldwide. The Caucus also provides a forum for members
of Congress to discuss their moral frameworks, ethical values, and personal
religious journeys. The Caucus started with four members, and now has twelve,
with more likely to join.
For people who want to contribute
financially to local and national candidates who support secular values, there
is now a Freethought Equality Fund PAC, which helps increase the number of
nonreligious Americans running for public office. See http://freethoughtequalityfund.net
Scientific advancement isn’t just making
people question God. It’s also connecting those who question. There are many atheist,
agnostic, and humanist groups, along with Internet discussion groups and
Meetups. “Nones,” those with no religious affiliation, is the fastest growing
“religious” group in America, especially among younger Americans. The latest
survey shows that over 23 percent of
Americans are “Nones,” a higher percentage than for either Catholics or
evangelicals.
In August 2019, the Democratic National Committee
passed a resolution acknowledging the “value, ethical soundness, and importance”
of non-religious Americans. The resolution mentioned that we advocate for rational public policy based on sound science and
universal humanistic values. In addition, Sarah Levin,
Director of Governmental Affairs of the Secular Coalition for America, was
recently elected as a Co-Chair of the DNC Interfaith Council (not representing
the nonpartisan Secular Coalition). In 2020, Democrats will need all the votes
they can get, and they understand that they have more to gain by embracing the
growing number of secular Americans than worrying about who might complain if
they do.
There have been
at least seven democratically-elected world leaders who have been atheists:
Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia; Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister
of Greece; Francois Hollande, President of France; Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister
of Croatia; John Key. Prime Minister of New Zealand; Elio di Rupo, former Prime
Minister of Belgium; Milos Zeman, President of the Czech Republic. Perhaps in
the not-too-distant future we will have an American president who is an open
atheist. Skeptical? Did you really expect to see a black American president in
your lifetime?
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Silverman.
Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash
