Barney Frank comes out again
by digby
I confess that I have not been keeping up with Bill Maher’s show much this season because well … he gets on my nerves. But the show does feature some good guests and I really should make a point to tune in so that I don’t miss something like this:
Former Massachusetts lawmaker Barney Frank revealed that he doesn’t believe in God.
During Friday’s appearance on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Frank, who championed the decriminalization of pot while serving in the House of Representatives, admitted to smoking marijuana and being an atheist.
“You were in a fairly safe district. You were not one of those congress people who would have to worry about every little thing,” Maher said to Frank. “You could come on this show and sit next to a pot-smoking atheist and it wouldn’t bother you.”
The 73-year-old Frank shot back, “Which pot-smoking atheist are you talking about here?” drawing applause from the crowd.
Frank, who has felt liberated since leaving Congress, said if he was appointed to fill John Kerry’s Senate seat, he would’ve taken the oath on the Constitution, not the Bible.
I don’t recall in my early life that being an atheist was the sin that dare not speak its name. Indeed, my father, who was a very right wing guy was a non-believer and wasn’t very patient with those who insisted you have to believe in God or be considered some sort of deviant. And I never thought much about my social or professional situation being impacted by my status as an atheist when I was younger. It was only later, in the 90s, when it became something I started to think about admitting in polite company.
But that’s certainly how it has been in recent years, with attitudes like this becoming more prevalent despite the fact that there are plenty of avowed agnostics and atheists in this country:
This is a religious country. Part of claiming your citizenship is claiming a belief in God, even if you are not Christian.. We’ve got the Creator in our Declaration of Independence. We’ve got “In God We Trust” on our coins. We’ve got “one nation under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance. And we say prayers in the Senate and the House of Representatives to God. An atheist could never get elected dog catcher, much less president. — Sally Quinn
And sometimes it’s pretty extreme:
In describing the inherent bad nature of a terrorist, the novel features their horrific crimes. This is Good vs. Evil. We Shall Never Forget 9/11 Vol. II
Terrorist Trading Cards clearly identifies the evil that may sit next to you on an airplane, or it could be an avowed Atheist in the parking lot of your local grocer on a sunny morning.
The world should look at them, make fun of them, name them – shame them, recognize who they are and rid the earth of them. No comic book published, nor any nightmarish fiction written, can compare to the absolute evil pictured in this book, stated, Wayne Bell Publisher. And realize as well “They” are not finished. Imagine a terrorist with a nuclear bomb.
This, on the other hand, is perfectly normal. The man is a current member of congress:
Polling says that atheists are even more unpopular than Muslims (which is not to say that Muslims are particularly popular.) I wonder is this is much the same as being antagonistic toward gays was years ago: they just don’t realize they know a bunch of them — are probably related to them.
Frank, of course, is a two fer. And good for him for coming out the second time.
Update: Also too, a pot smoker. (A three-fer!) A similar dynamic. Many people are afraid to admit it because it’s still a furtive sort of thing and so others don’t realize they know a bunch of people who do it. Once they are aware of that they’ll see that pot smoking atheists are stand up citizens with the same hopes and dreams as any other American.
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