Mike Huckabee: Is America A Theocracy?

[MrBaldurthegood]

And tell me huckabee, what does it mean to "live like an atheist"? Does it mean living your life the exact same, but without the fairy tales? Or does he think that atheism is a life style choice?

[nightfrog65]

Huckabee is not as bad as some members of the religious right.

Personally, I wouldn't vote for any ordained religious minister as our president. Too many opportunities for favoritism towards the church that he/she supports.

[supinlick2000]

Wow... great answer. I wish all people on the right felt that way. I like Huckabee even though I don't agree with him on a lot of things.

[Dogmeat1950]

I think he forgot to talk about the part where Jefferson Added god in the Document then later Removed it with advice from Ben Fraklin and Adams.

[detriotballer2]

"Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good." - Thomas Paine

[3209486]

They were all admitted atheist. They used God because it was the most common graspable tool to form UNITY considering the citizens for the most part came to escape religious persecution and were virtually all forms of Christianity. Darwin was born forty something years later. Science advanced. Evolution is the largest possible mathematical equation you can fathom and we are the answer, just because a few parts of the equation have been smudged due to age doesn't mean the equation is wrong...

[biggsterboy]

Huckabee and Ahmadinejad are essentially the same in that they both support national Theocratic law firmly centered around their religion. The only difference is that they each believe that the other's God does not exist.

[NYanarchy08]

This is a man who plainly stated that he wanted to change the Constitution to make it more Bible-friendly. What makes him so dangerous is that he doesn't come across as crazy like other fundies do; he's good at making insane beliefs sound reasonable.

[AceofDiamonds0]

isnt this the same Huckabee thats against gay marriage?

i spy with my little eye something begining with hypocrite

[bloomingdedalus]

"I have more respect for people who are atheists and live like it than people who are Christians and don't live like it."

That explains why he respects Bush.

[timpipe]

Remember the Simpsons episode when Ned Flanders is overlord? This guy would love to impose his views on the USA, just imagine what a Huckabee Supreme Court would look like.

[JerryGing]

I work out every day. I run, lift weights or both. If I do this too much, it can creates problems for my family or at my job. Excessive exercise could even damage my health. Is his any different than if I chose to smoke pot or use another drug? Law is intended to protect our lives and our property. Someone can get intoxicated if they want, just don't endanger anyone or damage property.

[FSMhasRisen]

See, he always betrays his true colors in some way. In this instance, it was all fine and dandy, then he has to say atheists who "live" like it. Of course, what he is implying, is that atheism is a specific "lifestyle" ie. sinful, immoral, etc. If you doubt this is what he meant then you don't understand this goon.

[Livelife417]

Your over examining his words waaayyyy too much

[FSMhasRisen]

I'm over-examining his words? Um...no. If you really think this...then please, enlighten me as to what he means by saying I have more respect for atheists that actually "live" like it? I won't hold my breath.

[Livelife417]

atheist's who live the lifestyle of an atheist. That is to say - the lifestyle of someone who does not worship God. He is saying he RESPECTS that, as opposed to people who just go around calling themselves atheists cause they want to look like a rebel, and think they are cool...

[FSMhasRisen]

You're still missing the point...he assumes there is a standard 'lifestyle' one lives as an atheist. This is absurd. It's like saying you respect someone for living according to the fact that they don't believe in leprechauns.  Of course, what I think any 'thinking' person will conclude, is that he is IMPLYING that there is a "godless" lifestyle, likely, in his mind, hedonistic and 'sinful.' Thus is saying he at least respects atheist that live like hedonists. If you disagree, do explain why

[snowwolf7777]

how did he loses to the angry old guy?

[FSMhasRisen]

Because he's a crazy Mormon.

[entity3sf]

Our founding father clearly stated that religion should be kept far away from government. I appreciate what this guy, Huckabee, just said about Atheists who live honestly being preferable to Christians who don't.

[jeffbrak]

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? What if my passion was drug usage and soliciting prostitutes, you liar. Not saying it's a respectable lifestyle, however that should be somebody's right.

Our leaders are liars, cheats, and frauds. They give us the circle jerk about how precious the constitution is and then let these draconian laws rule the land. You are fucked from day one of your deserved freedom. Wake up.

[Livelife417]

drug usage and soliciting prostitutes is a lifestyle that affects everyone around you in a negative manor. Drugs get people killed, and using a woman during a desperate time in her life for sex is unethical. Don't even compare that to religion, or atheism...

[FSMhasRisen]

Livelife, it seems to me that you have make a habit of oversimplifying things. Drugs get people killed?  You mean, the people that are killed during the "War on Drugs," which wouldn't even exist if they were legal in the first place?! And I'm curious as to how you come to the conclusion that a woman VOLUNTARILY selling sexual services is being "used." Again, the only reason abusive pimps exist is because prostitution is illegal, which is an absolutely ridiculous law.

[Livelife417]

No, You assume I was refering to the war on drugs, and I was not. I am refering to the countless death's that occur every single day due to drug overdoses, car crashes, and other destructive decisions made while high on fucking drugs. I am talking about the destruction of family's being ripped apart. The fucking children who grow up in a household parented by heavy drug users that forget to feed them. The COUNTLESS suicides driven by people while under the influence. DON'T TELL ME WHAT DRUGS ARE

[FSMhasRisen]

I wasn't "assuming" that you meant the war on drugs, I was providing a counterpoint, the fact that more people's life's are ruined or ended as a consequence of the war on drugs, than the effect of drugs themselves. You're point about families torn about by drugs is lacking in insight. Those scenarios would exist with or without the legality of said drugs. This, to me, is obvious, given the fact that the acquisition of drugs by those people is, by definition, illegal...STOP OVERSIMPLIFYING.

[FSMhasRisen]

torn "apart" I meant, not torn "about"

[Livelife417]

So your saying that less people would do drugs if it was legal? Look at cigarettes...

[FSMhasRisen]

Where did I say less people would do drugs if they were legal? You'll have to elaborate on your point with cigarettes, because I can think of no way through which bringing them up would HELP our argument. Keep in mind, I'm pretty sure cigarettes have never been illegal.

[Muradj2002]

look at holland... legal there but all their drug metrics are a fraction of ours.

[Livelife417]

you can't compare US to Holland, they are two different area's of the world.

[Muradj2002]

okay so cigarettes and narcotics are different things. I think my comparison of drug use between nations is pretty reasonable... more reasonable than your slippery slope logic that compares it to cigarettes.

[Livelife417]

Holy crap, for once just stop changing the subject back and forth. This is my final comment, all past comments of mine are irrelevant. Drugs hurt and damage lives. To legalize them would be an insult to what laws stand for in the first place. If you deny that drugs ruin lives, then your in deep deep denial.

[Muradj2002]

I'm not changing the subject, only pointing out your flawed reasoning. Drugs themselves don't DO anything. People damage their own lives and then shift the blame onto inanimate objects like drugs. That reasoning is a equivalent of blaming a car for your car accidents. I'm not in denial, I just simply place the blame on the people who actually abuse the drugs.

[JerryGing]

@Livelife417

I would posit that human nature is basically the same whether the individual lives in Holland or in the U.S. We need to accept that we have problems in our society. Way too much imprisonment, depression, drug use. More laws to protect people from themselves will not do good, and may do harm.

[Jakemmx]

This sounds good an all ... but I am still very worried about this guy.

[workedant]

Huckabee talks the truth!

[BionicDance]

What a lying sack of shit; there are a lot of lifestyles which harm no one that he has explicitly said he will NOT defend...like gay marriage.

And no matter WHAT he says, he's doing that on a RELIGIOUS basis.

Hypocrite.

[jessie74]

"What a lying sack of shit"

I couldn't have said it better!

[RCH92788]

??? Gay Marriage is only a religious issue if you perceive it as one... I don't think it is, I just see it as: Man-Woman Marriage, Man-Man(vice-versa) Civil Union. and they have the exact same benefits. It's dumb how people still debate it anyways. They're gay! get over it!

[arngrei]

This guy is so full of $hit that if you gave him an enema, you could fit him in a shoe box.

[TehFunnehMann]

@arngrei So you want this to be a Theocracy?

[retrofuturex]

I don't buy it. He wants to reinstate the ten commandments in public institutions.

[willsjaime]

This shows you don't understand the difference between Southern Baptists and Calvinists. The Southern Baptists have never wanted a theocracy because historically theocracies have been used against them.

[retrofuturex]

Wow, let's nitpick between Christian denominations. Shoot, I don't even know any Calvinists, man! I'm just not buyin' what ol Huck's saying.

[driubi]

Huck opens his mouth, and lies come out. He said this - "I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And thats what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than trying to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family."

[driubi]

I'd also like to add that by telling this fib, you broke a commandment.

[retrofuturex]

Don't worry, we all break commandments. It's breaking the law that has more serious consequences. Forget going to church, but I guess I better throw out my stash of weed =]

[driubi]

with huckabee as president, lying will be a misdemeanor, and wearing clothes made of more than 1 fabric will be a felony.

[driubi]

on the plus side, my work wouldn't be able to force me to work sundays for no pay anymore.

[retrofuturex]

Wearing fur would call for the death penalty, and cheating on your wife would result in castration. I guess you need some serious balls to vote for the Huckster =]

[hahayouarefunny]

How does one "live like [an atheist]"?

[cormex55]

Mike Gravel holds a Masters in Economics, He worked in Counter Intelligence and Declassification for the military during the Korean war. He returned and got work as a taxi driver later he drove to Alaska and worked in real estate and a railway break-man during the off season. He then was elected to congress, later the house elected him to Speaker. Finally he was then appointed to the senate...where he then released the Pentagon Papers, Filibustered the draft...etc. I can't fit this in 500 words!

[smoothmedia]

Pretty good answer actually.

[brooksidevideo]

Druibi: Founding fathers were not deists....Here's a quote from Ben Franklin: "I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth — That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this"

[driubi]

Hah. What is Franklin then? The fact of the matter is that in his autobiography he says he is deist - while he did modify deism slightly, he is still was essentially deist, and while all the versions of Christianity loved to claim him - he was highly critical of Christianity. Would you like to move on to Thomas Paine/Jefferson? John Adams/George Washington? James Madison/Ethan Allen?

[roxas2092]

If Huckabee restores prayer in school (and im sure he will try) thats imposing his religion on people.

[ekid2k]

Although I liked his answer very much, I would like to point out that the question is whether he would impose his beliefs not, if he should be able to

[driubi]

I think you are picking hairs - he said the president shouldn't beable to impose his views - so unless he thinks of himself as morally bankrupt - it implies he wouldn't. Now I think its open to discussion what mr huckabee thinks is or is not imposing his beliefs - but Essentially he answered the question.

[ekid2k]

I'm not saying I'm not satisfied with his answer, just that the whole idea of 10 questions was for the candidates to do one thing, answer the questions, to give an exact answer, not to imply, simply making implications of your answer leads the way for those who wish to ignore answering

[driubi]

Surprisingly good answer from a guy who doesn't believe in evolution. 2 things bugged me. The found fathers were Deist - which means they believe a god created things way back in the day - and left it to develop on its own - This implies that the "All men are created equal" is a creation via Parents rather than a God. Also Atheism is a disbelief in one thing - not a code one lives by, so saying Living like a atheist is equivalent to saying "living like a non-astronaut".

[292live]

John Jay: first Chief Justice 1777

"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and the interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

[driubi]

The reason that there is the separation of church and state is as much to protect religion from government as it is government from religion. It stops preferential treatment/persecution of a religion by government. This helps protect everyones rights, whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or atheist. If We were in fact a Christian nation - then why would only 2 of the 10 commandments be law?

[292live]

It is under the influences of Christianity that Muslims, atheists, etc receive the greatest freedom. If Islam were the dominant religion that influenced government, women would be punished for being raped (as in Saudi Arabia). If atheism were the primary governmental influence, all ethics, laws and morality would be subject to the government's interpretation (as in the USSR). I like the idea of government being influenced by Christianity.

[driubi]

uh, why is Sweden - the most atheistic country in the western world - ranked the second best country to live in by the UN then? The truth is that ethics, laws and morality are subject to interpretation - thats why its not a crime to work on the sabbath, nor a crime to say the lords name in vain.

[driubi]

Why is that 80% of american are christian and 80% of prison inmates are christian - 10% of american are atheist or agnostic but only 0.2% of inmates are atheist/agnostic? I'm not saying that being atheist makes you more moral, but I challenge you to find me evidence that shows that atheists are less moral.

[292live]

You will have to define "moral" for me. I don't know your definition. Also, please specify what determines your definition of morality to be superior to that of Stalin.

[driubi]

Morality is the destinction of right or wrong. So, morals are what a person thinks is right or wrong. Stalin's morality is beside the point - I could point out many religious people with nasty morals - My whol point is that no matter if its christians or atheists controlling the government, morality is subject to interpertation - after all, we don't stone people anymore, and most christians agree to disagree on with the bible on that one.

[driubi]

I could point out some things that I think many religious people think is moral, that i think is amoral, but it is subjective - just as one christian interprets 9/11 as the result of homosexuality and feminism, and others don't - just as one atheist can justify the slaughter of millions of people, and i can't justify the killing of any.

[292live]

So, if any one person's definition of morality is as legitimate as another's, what is the point of jurisprudence? This type of thinking only leads to anarchy or totalitarianism.

[driubi]

and there has never been a case of christian totalitarianism I guess? Law is there for a reason, its a common understanding amongst citizens that allows them to live with each other.

[driubi]

Under some governments it is agreed upon, in others its imposed - but this doesn't mean that the individuals have to share the exact same morality - they just live on a similar enough page as the rest of society for it to function properly. I'm not saying that everyone should create their own legal system - that would be asinine and counter productive.

[PersonalJesus348]

"has never been a case of christian totalitarianism"

Every Fascist country to date. Thank your Catholics for that.

[jcoffey9]

OK, sounds good. I have classified morality as used by Christians as mostly "superstitious morality", which I would have no use for. Right-wing Christians typically use far-fetch metaphorical expressions like "unborn child" and so on to back their so-called moral reasons for opposing embryonic stem cell research, for example. I tacked "superstitious morality" term to that, so I could flaunt my views in talking to some friends.

[jcoffey9]

Hi, yes I've known this statistics before and tried to spread to my friends about that. Your last statement is more eloquent than what I used. Thanks and good for you!

[chukmaty]

Huckabee answers so well!