Would the freethinking Jefferson be elected today?

Humanist, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Sidney M. Goetz

Embracing Christianity worked particularly well for George W. Bush. In the Iowa debate, when asked to name his favorite philosopher, Bush replied: "Jesus Christ, because he changed my heart." With those few words, Bush sent a signal that no matter what information might surface about his past, voters were to remember that he had been "reborn." And in Bush, Christianity has its most vocal and proactive supporter in the White House. Since his first week in office, Bush has sought to tear down the wall of separation in favor of his religious beliefs. From school vouchers to faith-based initiatives, he has endeavored to manipulate legislation and policy toward that end.

Polls taken at the time of the elections demonstrated the stirring of religious fervor in the United States. More people claimed to be attending church and certainly more of them were talking and writing about spirituality--however you define it--than in the past. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, that fervor has run rampant as both civilian and government entreaties to "God Bless America" have equated religiosity to patriotism, and any attempt to stem the flood is viewed as treasonous.

So, would Thomas Jefferson succeed, were he a candidate for U.S. president in the twenty-first century? In view of the climate of the country, the intense media exposure and examination now directed at candidates' characters and careers ... well, I leave the answer to you.

Sidney M. Goetz is a Florida organizer for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a civil liberties activist, and a former member of the American Humanist Association board of directors.