# Did Bush 41 really say atheists shouldn't be citizens? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417 "2004-03-10T03:20:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jimtron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e57/32.png) [@jimtron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimtron)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/1 "2004-03-10T03:20:53Z")
According to this site: [http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/aa011.htm](http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/aa011.htm) and a few others, President George Bush (41, the older) had this exchange with a reporter: "Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists? Bush: I guess I’m pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in god is important to me. Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists? Bush: No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God. Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church? Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I’m just not very high on atheists." There is a place and a date for this, but I wonder if any papers quoted the pres on this, other than the American Atheist news journal, which is the publication Sherman was with. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/2 "2004-03-10T03:46:33Z")
It’s debatable. Some say that because nobody else heard it, they believe the reporter made it up. Others think it’s enough that the one reporter reported it, and believe Bush said it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/3 "2004-03-10T03:59:37Z")
Nor did the reporter record the alleged conversation. I think if I were interviewing the Pres I would tape it. Most pols are not dumb enough to trash parts of the electorate in front of reporters for no reason. Most good reporters don’t include things like “somewhat taken aback” in their stories. Why only “somewhat” anyway? Color me skeptical. It’s in my nature. I’m a non-believer. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/4 "2004-03-10T04:03:35Z")
[Wikipedia](http://wikiquote.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush) (attributed) [Landover Baptist](http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0503/atheists.html) ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/5 "2004-03-10T10:45:04Z")
There’s at least one previous thread on this. Not sure which forum though 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/6 "2004-03-10T13:05:25Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Wikipedia](http://wikiquote.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush) (attributed) > [Landover Baptist](http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0503/atheists.html) Interestingly, the _Verified_ section has the: “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” I wonder how they determine the difference between Attributed and Verified, especially as they don’t list the source. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/7 "2004-03-10T13:11:14Z")
> [@Bromley](#): > > Interestingly, the _Verified_ section has the: > > “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God.” > > I wonder how they determine the difference between Attributed and Verified, especially as they don’t list the source. You can ask the [author](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Liftarn) of that article directly? (you don’t have to sign up) ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-bush-41-really-say-atheists-shouldnt-be-citizens/233417/8 "2004-03-10T13:13:52Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Wikipedia](http://wikiquote.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush) (attributed) > [Landover Baptist](http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0503/atheists.html) Landover Baptist is a parody site. It’s for amusement only.