I am asking here because I do NOT want a debate or a flame fest. I just want a simple answer and a cite that either verifies or debunks.
Question:
Did George H W Bush say atheists are not good Americans or did he not say it?
I found this, but it was Papa Bush in 1987:
George H.W. is Papa Bush. I think what the OP wants to know is, what is the source on this quote, and has it ever been verified?
:smack:
I knew that. The site where I found the quote lists “Free Inquiry” magazine (Fall 1988 issue, Volume 8, Number 4, page 16) as the source. Here’s their site, but the online archive does not go back to 1988.
This has been debated several times before here. It comes down to whether or not you believe the reporter who reported it. Some do, some don’t.
Thank you all who have replied. I guess, depending on the cited sources, I still have to take it all with a grain of salt.
That would probably be wise. I’m an atheist, and no fan of the Bushes; but unless I actually see footage of him saying this, I tend to believe it’s invented.
Did GHWB ever confirm it, or deny it?
Well, which reporter reported it and in which publication? That will tell us a lot. If it’s Lefty LePen published in IHATEBUSH.COM, I’m not inclinded to believe it. If it’s Bob Woodward in the Washington Post, I’ll believe it.
I’ve seen the supposed direct quote in some threads and it was much more incriminating than the OP suggests. It was something like (paraphrased): Atheists aren’t patriotic and shouldn’t be elected to public office.
IIRC, it was a writer for a publication focusing on atheism.
This “Lefty” Lepen?
I would argue that saying they shouldn’t be considered citizens is far more damaging. For starters, it probably includes the idea of not being elected for office, since I doubt non-citizens can run for many elections. Also, if they aren’t citizens, where is he proposing they be deported? 
I’m gonna have to assume (until further evidence shows otherwise) that this was not said. It is just too ill thought out.
No, that’s his cousin “Righty”. 
According to Positive Atheism, “RS” is Robert Sherman.
Without getting overly political, we are talking about a Bush here. Neither father nor son are renowned for their facility with the English language. Both also pandered to the radical religious right as part of their campaign and governing strategies. I can absolutely believe that GHWB would say something like atheists aren’t patriots, but frankly I’d be more likely to expect to here it from fils rather than pere. What I find hard to believe is that either Bush would grant an interview as a sitting president or a candidate to a magazine devoted to secular humanism.
I’d also be a little happier if the sites listing it online tended to have names other than “evilbible.com” and “infidels.org”.
We have the purported quote, but I think we all agree that it is not ironclad proof, and the sources could fairly be called less than neutral. If it had been a few of the more well known and mainstream newspapers I would be more confident. Without any consideration as to what we each think of either individual Bush, or what we think either one might say, I was just hoping for something more indisputable and concrete.
For what it’s worth, it has never been claimed that the purported quote was in the context of a sit-down interview with Up With Atheism! Weekly or anything like that; the story is that in 1987 Robert Sherman with American Atheist Press and American Atheist magazine was attending a press conference at O’Hare airport; he was basically one of many reporters posing various questions to the then-Vice President. See here for details (scroll down to “Example 1”).
Since when do reptilians have “faith in God”?
Let’s keep the political comments out of General Questions, please.
Hey, if Bush is using an airport named after our most famous atheist, he can’t be that opposed to us.
Daniel