Yes. And many of those who call it a cult also label Catholicism, Buddhism, and Islam cults.
No I wouldn’t refuse to vote for someone based only on their religion. It would prompt me to ask questions about their views on the establishment clause as well as ye other major issues. If a person is an honest, hard working, ethical person I don’t care how those qualities were developed. I care that they are reflected in what policies they support and what their priorities are.
I agree. Xtain, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist (might make a nice change!), Wiccan, sure- perhaps even a Mormon. It all depends on how much an issue they are making of their religion, and how political it is. But* not* a cultist of L-Ron. Never.
I would absolutely refuse to vote for a candidate who used his/her religion as a platform, talking point, etc. or if it informed his/her political decisions. If I have to, I’ll vote for my next door neighbor instead.
I wouldn’t vote against somebody because of their beliefs, though; that’s just silly, IMO. I tend towards using behavior, and not cognition, to judge character in politicians and in friends. For example, I recently stopped pursuing a potential relationship where we both seemed pretty interested in each other and she suggested that we…go to her church together on a Sunday afternoon. I’m familiar with her church and know that it subscribes to a highly evangelical “use guitars to lure in people between the ages of 18 and 30” format, and I don’t want anything to do with people who try to draw me in to that. I learned that lesson in the Air Force and don’t need to learn it again.
But if it happened to come up in conversation that she went to church, and it didn’t interfere with our interactions or, say, pop up as an idea for a first date, that’d be a different story.
I feel the same way about politics: if the praying happens in private, it ain’t my business one way or the other (any more than it’s the President’s business what faith or lack thereof I practice in private). If the praying is what determines which bills you’ll sign and which you won’t, not cool.
For me, it depends on the nature of the “religion”. Scientology is out. Ditto Jehovah Witness, Snake Handlers, Fundie Christians and other cult-like groups that don’t make any damn sense. Note that I have no problem with people worshipping broomsticks if that’s what they’re into…but I’m not going to vote in favor of giving people like that launch authority over nuclear weapons. Just seems like a bad idea.
Well, I’ve stated (and been blasted for it) that I won’t buy chicken sandwiches from an overtly christian fast-food chain, but I have to admit that a candidates religion isn’t going to be the sole determining factor in obtaining my vote (guns and abortion are a much bigger deal). And, as Der Trihs points out, I don’t have a choice most of the time. How much of a deal they make of their religion is going to make a difference - anyone pushing their beliefs is going to push me away.
As has been mentioned, a scientologist would have to put up a good front to get me to vote for them, but Mormons are no different from Baptist or Catholic to my eyes. Muslim? Sure, as long as they weren’t fundy. I’m related to some Druze, so I don’t have an irrational distrust like some people might (my distrust is rational - they’re family so therefore crazy).
Very few “major” religions are more or less distasteful to me than any other, and I try to base my vote on issues rather than personality (don’t always succeed, but I try). If someone dressed differently (robes rather than a suit, for instance) that’d give me pause, and I’d probably see that as an indication that they are a little more religious than not, but I’m not going to assume that they have some kind of hidden agenda.
I’d vote for a druid, tho.
Just one little aside. You don’t have to worry about voting for a Jehovah’s witness, at least not until Jesus returns.
One of their basic tenets is the illegitimacy of any government not based on Jesus, so they are not supposed–at least for now–to vote or to hold any government office.
My brother is a Jehovah’s Witness, so I 've done some research into the faith.
Oakie & Bobo '08!
What kind of druid ? Orthodox, Zen or Reform ?
I just quoted this part because it’s what, IMHO, the people who won’t vote for someone based on their religion use as their excuse. First they designate something as “cult-like” and then they decide it doesn’t “make any *** sense.” Or they do it the other way around.
To answer the original question, no, I would not vote for a candidate based solely on his or her religion (or lack thereof). Likewise, I would not refrain from voting for a candidate based solely on his or her religion (or lack thereof). However, some other attributes, which may be related to one’s religion, might sway me - for example, as several people mentioned already, I’d be very reluctant to vote for a militant or dogmatic fundamentalist, regardless of what religion (or lack thereof) he or she claimed. There are surely people who have theological positions very different from mine that would make fine candidates and for whom I would be happy to vote, just as there are likely some who claim the same religious belief as I do (or a very similar one) for whom I would sooner abstain from voting than vote.
I can imagine there are people who would just as soon vote for Brother John just because he claims the same faith (or lack thereof), and that’s good enough for them. I wholeheartedly disagree with that assessment. A theological stance is just one of many attributes a person has, and it’s probably not at the top of the list of attributes necessary to be a good leader. There have been good world leaders of all faiths, I’m willing to bet (obviously I’m not going to make a list; even if I did, it wouldn’t be comprehensive). Anyway, that was a lot longer than it needed to be, so I’ll stop drumming my point again and again. :smack:
Excuse, reason, whatever you want to call it. If the guy strikes me as a nutcase, I ain’t voting for him. Following some bizarre religion is enough to make me not want him in high office. Granted, there are some that may take exception to me dismissing Fundie Christians as a cultlike bizarre religion. I probably wouldn’t vote for them, either.
I could probably handle any religion in a candidate, as long they honor seperation of church and state. Scientology would give me pause though; that might be a dealbreaker, I have to question the judgement in general of a person who joins that particular religion/cult/whatever.
I would be more interested in how he (or she) uses his religion than in what it is. Scientology would be a bit on the edge, though.
As a Mormon, I don’t think Mitt Romney can be elected. There are a lot of misconceptions about us (Mennonites? horns? cult?). Liberals think we’re the same as fundamentalists, and fundamentalists think we’re the devil.
I don’t think Romney can carry the South. A race between him and Hillary would be very interesting, but a lot of religious-right people are saying that even then they wouldn’t vote for him. I don’t know how true that really is, but I still don’t think he could win.
Well, the actual difference between a religion and a cult . . . would be a different debate.
Do you mean Chick-fil-A? (Only fast-food chain I know that closes on Sundays. Tasty sandwiches, though!)
Reform, of course. They’re allowed to pray to bushes. 
And my point is that a fair number of people are basing their decision on if the guy strikes them as a nutcase solely on the guy’s religion.
And my point is that for any religion there are a fair number of people who call it bizarre.
And my point is that a fair number of people are basing their decision on if the guy strikes them as a nutcase solely on the guy’s religion.
And my point is that for any religion there are a fair number of people who call it bizarre.
Hmmm…must 've double clicked on the sumbit button. Sorry about that.