# Who is the least religious of the candidates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 29, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570 "2016-01-29T14:14:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/41 "2016-01-31T18:23:53Z")
Most likely Sanders. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/42 "2016-01-31T19:02:43Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Here.](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/31/232182/rand-paul-criminalize-speech/) There’s also a link to the audio of the speech. > > Quote bolded same as in article. This is why I don’t trust sources like ThinkProgress, because they are an advocacy group, not an objective news source. Here’s the quote in context: > [@](#): > > Hannity: You see, now you’ve set yourself up to be called a bigot because now you want to profile people at the airport. You can’t win, Rand. I mean, they’ve got an answer for everything. > > Paul: But here’s the thing, Sean: I’m not for profiling people on the color of their skin or on their religion. But I would take into account where they’ve been traveling and perhaps you might indirectly have to take into account whether or not they’ve been going to radical political speeches by religious leaders. It wouldn’t be that they are Islamic. But if someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that’s really an offense that we should be going after. They should be deported or put in prison. Now, Rand’s message is a bit muddled there, but it looks like he’s talking about foreigners coming into the country and whether we should be screening people based on their actions prior to coming here. I think it’s unreasonable, based on his history, to think that Rand Paul really believes an American citizen should be thrown in jail for “listening to radical political speeches” which is the claim made by **DrDeth**. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/43 "2016-01-31T19:09:00Z")
I’d guess Trump is the least religious, followed by Sanders. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/44 "2016-01-31T19:17:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, I don’t understand how either of the Pauls gets labeled “libertarian”. Ron Paul is a fairly standard right-wing authoritarian who happens to like marijuana, and his son is the same except without the pot. Do I have to rebut this a fifth time? On what issue does Ron Paul adopt an authoritarian stance? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/45 "2016-01-31T19:20:07Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Do I have to rebut this a fifth time? On what issue does Ron Paul adopt an authoritarian stance. You could read the thread. He’s about as libertarian as Stalin. His views on abortion are straight out of the Evangelist Christian handbook.[http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/) Rand Paul Opposes Abortion Rights, Sponsored Legislation That Would Make All Abortions Illegal Rand Paul vehemently opposes abortion rights. He is a sponsor of “The Life at Conception Act,” a radical piece of legislation associated with the personhood movement that says “human life begins at the moment of conception, and therefore is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.” The purpose of the legislation is to outlaw all abortion. Rand Paul Opposes Same-Sex Marriage, Finds It ‘Offensive’ Rand Paul is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage. Paul said the idea of a marriage between a same-sex couples “offends myself and a lot of people.” Rand Paul Supports A Massive Increase In Defense Spending Rand Paul Opposes The Legalization Of Marijuana Rand Paul Suggested Putting People In Prison For Listening To ‘Radical Political Speeches’ [http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/](http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/) ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/46 "2016-01-31T19:42:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You could read the thread. > He’s about as libertarian as Stalin. His views on abortion are straight out of the Evangelist Christian handbook.[http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/) > Rand Paul Opposes Abortion Rights, Sponsored Legislation That Would Make All Abortions Illegal > Rand Paul vehemently opposes abortion rights. He is a sponsor of “The Life at Conception Act,” a radical piece of legislation associated with the personhood movement that says “human life begins at the moment of conception, and therefore is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.” The purpose of the legislation is to outlaw all abortion. > > Rand Paul Opposes Same-Sex Marriage, Finds It ‘Offensive’ > Rand Paul is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage. Paul said the idea of a marriage between a same-sex couples “offends myself and a lot of people.” > > Rand Paul Supports A Massive Increase In Defense Spending > Rand Paul Opposes The Legalization Of Marijuana > Rand Paul Suggested Putting People In Prison For Listening To ‘Radical Political Speeches’ > [http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/](http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/) Did you read my post? I said “Ron”. Anyway opposition to abortion is not authoritarian. Many libertarians oppose abortion on the grounds that the fetus has rights. Not complicated. Being offended by same-sex marriage is just that. It is not authoritarian to be offended. In any case, decentralization is a common theme in much libertarian thought. So there you go. Those other issues are rand’s problems, not Ron’s, thanks for playing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/47 "2016-01-31T20:13:14Z")
Rand was the only republican in recent debate who didn’t back increased government snooping into our phones and email, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/48 "2016-01-31T21:41:35Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > 😕 > I WANT the GOP in the grip of the Christian Right. That party needs to stop existing. Except the GOP wasn’t going anywhere under the pre-TRUMP status quo. Instead it was a party that had increased its dominance in Congress and state governments-the “muh Republicans are stupid old white people who are gonna die off” strategy has been a disaster and additionally has resulted in the subversion of the Democratic Party by plutocratic forces who need to be purged from the party as soon as possible much as Stalin rid the CPSU of the Trotskyites. > [@Stoneburg](#): > > Actually I think it would be super-cool if there was at least ONE world leader who have had a trans-personal experience, some spiritual insights or access to higher cognitive functions than “formal operational” or “rational”. We’ve had a few “Born Again” US Presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/49 "2016-01-31T21:42:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, I don’t understand how either of the Pauls gets labeled “libertarian”. Ron Paul is a fairly standard right-wing authoritarian who happens to like marijuana, and his son is the same except without the pot. A good portion of libertarians including the Pauls are really states’ rights fetishists. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/50 "2016-01-31T22:05:59Z")
[Donald Trump Goes To Church And Beclowns Himself.](http://www.redstate.com/2016/01/31/donald-trump-goes-church-beclowns/) ---
**Author:** ![snuffleupagus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@snuffleupagus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snuffleupagus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/51 "2016-01-31T22:20:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You could read the thread. > He’s about as libertarian as Stalin. His views on abortion are straight out of the Evangelist Christian handbook.[http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/](http://thinkprogress.org/politics/20...t-libertarian/) > Rand Paul Opposes Abortion Rights, Sponsored Legislation That Would Make All Abortions Illegal > Rand Paul vehemently opposes abortion rights. He is a sponsor of “The Life at Conception Act,” a radical piece of legislation associated with the personhood movement that says “human life begins at the moment of conception, and therefore is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.” The purpose of the legislation is to outlaw all abortion. > > Rand Paul Opposes Same-Sex Marriage, Finds It ‘Offensive’ > Rand Paul is a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage. Paul said the idea of a marriage between a same-sex couples “offends myself and a lot of people.” > > Rand Paul Supports A Massive Increase In Defense Spending > Rand Paul Opposes The Legalization Of Marijuana > Rand Paul Suggested Putting People In Prison For Listening To ‘Radical Political Speeches’ > [http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/](http://www.religionnews.com/2015/04/...th-never-easy/) I know quite a few agnostic/atheist libertarians who are anti-abortion on the basis that it violates the fetus’ rights as an individual. And believe that the fetus is an individual based on science (it has a heartbeat, different DNA that the mother, etc), not religion. Libertarians love to argue about who is a “real” libertarian and who is not, but Rand Paul is the most libertarian of the Republican candidates. His dad a little more so. But no, not a straight hardcore 100% libertarian, I don’t think anyone is claiming that. Many believe he also downplays some of his libertarian leanings to pander to the Republican party somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/52 "2016-02-01T00:09:56Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > Did you read my post? I said “Ron”. > Those other issues are rand’s problems, not Ron’s, thanks for playing. And taking away a woman’s right to choose based upon your religious views is indeed, authoritarian. Rons not running, so what’s you’re point? ---
**Author:** ![FabioClone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5f8ce5/32.png) [@FabioClone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FabioClone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570/53 "2016-02-01T14:14:39Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > Actually I think it would be super-cool if there was at least ONE world leader who have had a trans-personal experience, some spiritual insights or access to higher cognitive functions than “formal operational” or “rational”. The Pope. As a counterpoint, I’d argue that having your world leaders think and act rationally is very important. Especially the ones that control countries with the ability to destroy much of the world. Having leaders make decisions based on personal religious revelation, or whatever they claim is their religious insight, is the short track to living in a theocracy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-least-religious-of-the-candidates/744570.md?page=2)