First congressman to proclaim to be an atheist
13 March 2007 by Stardust
Sean would have been so proud to know that the first congressman to publically announce his atheism is from a district in his own San Francisco Bay-area:
Rep. Stark applauded for atheist outlook
WASHINGTON - The American Humanist Association applauded Rep. Pete Stark for publicly acknowledging he does not believe in a supreme being. The declaration, it said, makes him the highest-ranking elected official — and first congressman — to proclaim to be an atheist.
The organization took out an ad in Tuesday’s Washington Post, congratulating the California Democrat for his stance.
“With Stark’s courageous public announcement of his nontheism, it is our hope that he will become an inspiration for others who have hidden their conclusions for far too long,” executive director Roy Speckhardt said in a statement.
*snip*
Stark, whose district is in the San Francisco Bay-area town of Fremont, confirmed his belief in a statement to The Associated Press late Monday. He said he was “a Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being.
Stark is a peace advocate. He also supports increasing the availability of health care, revitalizing the economy, and protecting the environment.
13 March 2007, on 5:14 pm
Confirmed his belief? Shouldn’t that be “confirmed his non-belief”?
13 March 2007, on 5:24 pm
Revenant - good catch.
13 March 2007, on 5:53 pm
Well Damn. I am able at last to say hi. Hi! I moved at the beginning of the month and have been waiting for my internet connection ever since. It is still not hooked-up. I have to use the local library and have been timing out prior to being able to comment here. I’ve been able to read and must say I too am an addict. I was going into withdrawal and everything. (Hook mme up Please (sniffle) I’m begging you.)
Stark is our man. And I’m sure there are more roaming the halls of the Capitol. It is good to know that we have an ally who is unafraid of letting his non-belief be known.
The ridiculous Right Wingers are making it seem as if there is something wrong with his admission but are unable to fully substantiate what that is exactly. I don’t think it would be his honesty. Although honesty is something they know little about. I think they are playing on the “San Francisco” “liberal” “left coast” etc. nonsense that they are so fond of. Stark has successfully served this area for a lot of years and his record speaks for itself. And unlike the good men and women in the White House, Stark has not been hearing voices that lie to him about weapons of mass destruction.
I also heard from an Easterner that everyone in San Francisco is gay. I would never have guessed. I go to San Francisco about 4 or 5 times a month and I don’t see that at all. I wonder what else they’ve been lied to about.
woops times up gotta go. I hope to be back soon. Soon to me is counted in days.
13 March 2007, on 6:15 pm
jimmer…I was wondering where you went and wondering why you didn’t answer my emails! Hope you are up and running soon and looking forward to your next post! (Bob, KR, Eve and TOG, too!!) Until things slow down for you all, Naomi and I are holding down the fort…just hope everyone isn’t getting tired of us!
13 March 2007, on 6:31 pm
I also heard from an Easterner that everyone in San Francisco is gay.
All of my relatives who live in North Carolina think that everyone in Chicago is a gangster…Al Capone-type gangsters! LOL! I remember when I was a kid my aunt was driving my Baptist grandparents across the country to see the sights, and they stopped by our place on the far south-east side of Chicago and my grandmother was terrified! We took them downtown and my grandmother sat rigid in the car the whole time. She kept saying she wanted to leave and continue their trip and get out of the “city of such sinful folks”. It was so unreasonable!
13 March 2007, on 6:33 pm
Naomi and I are holding down the fort
And a splendid job you are both doing, too.
As for this guy Stark ‘coming out’, as it were - well, what do you expect from someone connected with San Francisco? Aren’t they all ultra left wing homosexual god-hating liberal communist anti-green issues in the hands of ‘big-oil’ paedophiles (have I missed any gratuitous terms of abuse out?). Oh yes, how about limp-wristed, effete, lady-men, who do not have the interests of ‘our god fearing nation’ at heart?
Mind you, before I start welcoming him into the ranks of atheism, I would like to hear more about his Unitarian beliefs.
Nevertheless, it’s a start in the right direction.
13 March 2007, on 6:47 pm
Here’s a tidbit I found out about him from April 2006:
Also an article I found from Salon in 2002: “The bottom line is I don’t trust this president and his advisors”
13 March 2007, on 8:17 pm
Oh, boy, Sean would be ecstatic at this turn of events! I understand your hesitancy, Old Git, but believe me, it’s a step in the right direction for us here in the US anyway. Just having one guy in public office openly admit he doesn’t believe in a Supreme Being does a godless, troublemaking heathen body good.
Hang in there, jimmer! Thanks for keeping the light on, Naomi and Star! I’m on my way–!
13 March 2007, on 8:24 pm
Eve, it’s about time you’ve come home, young lady! (arms folded, foot-tapping)
13 March 2007, on 8:43 pm
Until things slow down for you all, Naomi and I are holding down the fort…just hope everyone isn’t getting tired of us!
Not that I do not miss the rest of the gang, but getting tired of you? Not happening soon.
I, too, am very happy for Stark coming out, even as a Unitarian. I do not think this is going to increase the hatred from the religious right towards him, because they already hated him as much as they could. Let us hope others follow.
13 March 2007, on 10:43 pm
GO Stark!
And may natural selection afford your descendents many beneficial mutations.
14 March 2007, on 12:04 am
funny, they left out the part about how he loves to eat babies.
14 March 2007, on 12:04 am
because we eat babies, right?
14 March 2007, on 12:14 am
If he truly IS an atheist…
I’m not completely convinced…
Unitarians are still a Church, Roit? Check this Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarians
It may be a case of him being considered an atheist by the Xtian Right’s interpretation, because Unitarianism doesn’t really accept the Jeebus-god/Trinity doctrine. Unitarians, from a quick check of Wikipedia, seem more ‘deist’ than atheist…but what do I know?
Anyway…this topic reminds me, in a way of Barney Franks; the openly gay Congressman, who has done much, in my opinion, to demonstrate that one CAN buck the system; and prove the opposing side wrong regarding a previously condemned life style.
Yeah, I agree…it’s about time for atheists, like the ‘Barney Franks’ etc…to “come out of the closet” and ’stand up’ for atheist principles.
More and more, as we’re seeing in the news; people are calling the hypocrites out on their bullshit. The current, gays in the American military story is another good sign that people are finding their “guts”, stepping up, and challenging the self righteous, imbedded in many powerful positions, on various so-called “Moral” issues.
14 March 2007, on 12:40 am
I consider Deists to be people who want to be atheists but are too afraid to stop believing, and take pascal’s wager way too seriously.
14 March 2007, on 2:53 pm
Hello all, long-time lurker, first time poster. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. My father is an atheist who attended a Unitarian church for some time. He even taught Sunday school. His church may have been different from others but it was mostly an umbrella under which people of many different persuasions (atheists, agnostics, wiccans, pagans, Christians, etc.) met to learn about religions of all kinds and discuss their mutually held beliefs. I think he hoped it might be a good place to meet women after my parents divorced. Being in Wichita, KS, the rationalist singles scene is pretty non-existent, especially if you are in your 50s or 60s. He has since quit attending, more out of disagreement with their far-left leaning political affiliations (we’re market-anarchists) than any spiritual head-butts. However, his church may be different than other Unitarian churches. I will never know because I catch fire in any church.
14 March 2007, on 3:53 pm
I guess thats why they call it freemont
14 March 2007, on 7:55 pm
Kudos to Stark. Of course, the odds dictate that there are more atheist (or agnostic) elected officials; it’s sad that only one (major official) is brave enough to admit it.
At least now I know that there’s one out-of-state election to watch.
15 March 2007, on 6:39 pm
Here’s a disturbing reaction to Peter Stark’s annoucement, courtesy of the Christian Seniors Association.
I will quote the third paragraph in three parts.
Sure, blame the current congress for this annoucement, never mind that Peter Stark has served in Congress for over 30 years. Never let facts get in the way of a good story!
Hmm, apparently liberals advocate physical violence against children! Especially those damn atheists! Why didn’t they tell me before?
Yes, merely announcing a lack of belief in gods is equivalent to actively bashing God, and Christians in particular!
Luckily, we already have a right to bash Christians (verbally) and berate God around the clock. It’s called the First Amendment. And it’s not just available to liberals, it’s available to everyone!
No. Equating a mere statement of disbelief with criticism (”bashing”) of others’ beliefs, not to mention violent intentions towards children, is the truly sad benchmark for America.
15 March 2007, on 7:11 pm
Sobex, what a bunch of BULLSHIT! BUT…typical that they start crying persecution whenever someone announces they don’t accept their god beliefs.
“The liberals in Congress want to throttle any school child who bows his or her head in prayer,
They are so full of shit . . .when have we ever heard of anyone not being able to bow their heads and talk to their imaginary sky daddy any time they choose…and how many of us non-believers are forced to sit silently while some dumbass prayers are being said on a podium from public events to family gatherings? I think these xians need to start worrying about themselves and take a good look in the mirror and stop being so obsessed with what everyone believes or doesn’t believe. Or is it that if they look in the mirror they may not like what they see?
18 March 2007, on 2:55 pm
For some unknown ‘reason’…I started thinking, again, about that Philosophical phrase:
“Existence is absurd!”…which led me to google…which brought up Kierkegaard…and more interestingly to me, a link to an Existentialist oriented site which has some details on…
“UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM”…”aHA”!…or…more info related to Rep. Stark’s supposed belief.
As is my wont…for anyone interested in an Existentialist exploration…go here:
“An Existential Philosopher’s Museum”…and check the main page links?
http://www.tc.umn.edu/%7Eparkx032/
[ala "Ulla" in "The Producers"]:
“Go(o)d dag pur day”!…???