Awesome.

Yes!!!

Yay, about time. Go Brights!

He doesn't hold a "god-belief"? Bloody Unitarians.

Following in the footsteps of his fellow Californian Culbert Olson, no doubt.

(The stuff you can find on Wikipedia when you're bored is amazing.)

Yay, I wish more would come out.

"Surveys show that the majority of Americans would not vote for an atheist for president even if he or she were the most qualified for the office."

Well, unfortunately most Americans are notoriously shallow and ignorant. Hence, they won't vote for a candidate who seems ‘too smart’ or they'll vote for someone that they can ‘have a brewski with.’

On Royal Canadian Air Farce, they joked that that new show “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” was so humiliating that FOX had to change it to “Are You Smarter than a Cat.” They were almost right.

But wait, isn't it the (white male) Christians who are the most oppressed people in this country.

It's about time!

I'd bet that these days muslim are less trusted. If you asked the average american if he'd prefer a moslem to an atheist, I doubt the moslem would win.

Is it really good news if he's still using gaurded language: *nontheist*? With Dawkins I'm even tired of those who take the Spinozan dodge of *deus sive natura* equating god with nature (or rather nature viewed from a particular aspect - the details of which aren't worth elaborating).

The good news will be when a congressman says he's an atheist is deeply suspiscious of any religion as probably doing more harm than good in the world. And that includes fake yoga-hinduism Seattle.

Thank God for the nontheists! We need more of them.

Kinaidos, you'd guess wrong, plausible though it sounds. Google "American Mosaic Project" for the scoop on those recent polls: "Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in 'sharing their vision of American society.' Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry."

13--that's because theists assume that atheist believe in "nothing," have no morals and like to torture small animals for fun. who'd "allow" their daughter to marry someone like that! (and some of them still think that jews have tails.)

You know, being an agnostic leaning towards being an athiest I just want to say. YEAH!!!!! I wish more people would drop off the chains of a belief structure in the super natural that does not exist. I mean if "God" exists then he needs to show itself. And if the Republicans are God's party then God itself must come down and nominate their next Presidential nominee at the convention in 2008. No excuses, I mean some of us think we are God's Country. Certianly God has a vested interest in who leads it.

I'm with gfish...GO BRIGHTS!!!

And we do need to come out. The more sane and rational people who are out as nontheists, the better. Just like every sub group, because few people are open about it there are lots of misconceptions.

did you know that nontheists voted against a viaduct rebuild 99:1?

What I find most distressing is that so many people think that religion is the only thing that can keep people from being complete hateful bastards - which implies that the majority of people in the world really only give a shit about each other because they think they'll be punished if they don't.

But huh, if everyone is only compassionate under threat of eternal torture, and God is the only being that truly cares about other beings, then I must be God. I could live with that. Maybe. Depends on the job requirements, I suppose.

It's easier to tell people I'm a lesbian than an athiest. My partner can't even handle that. She can't stand the thought that she'll be in heaven without me.

And yes, my name really is Angel, sort of. Ironic, isn't it?

I'm an apatheist -- I don't care if there's a god, or gods, and from all the evidence He/She/They/It clearly doesn't give a fuck about us.

(Well, other than apparently desperately demanding we all worship it like some kind of sick, sad, washed-up hollywood starlet. Sorry, anything that invented the prostate, the guinea worm, and Toby Keith is not worthy of my worship).

Everyone HAD read "The God Delusion" right? If you haven't, get off your computer, go read it and don't come back until you're done...

Oh you loveable but crazy Americans! How odd that a non-believing Congressman seems like a novelty. Like most of Europe, here in Australia, the exact opposite seems to be the case: believers in God are often ridiculed and certainly ostracized in public life as being shallow and untrustworthy. We have the case here at the moment where the guy hoping to be the next Prime Minister of the country also happens to be a 'committed Christian' and who goes to church quite regularly. Our media have already said that this acknowledgement on his behalf is tantamount to political suicide and his "god-bothering" just wont appeal to the voting public. Christianity and other forms of worship are generally kept IN the closet in Australia.