This very interesting webpage details the religious affiliations of all of our Presidents up until George W. Bush. The statistics they provide discuss which religions are over-represented (such as Dutch Reformed) or under-represented (Catholicism).
Besides simply being an interesting chronicle of the beliefs of our Presidents, this also raises some questions about the political importance of religion. Could an atheist ever be elected President? Someone who claimed to not believe in God?
Interestingly enough, several of our Presidents actually were deists, which means that they believe in a Creator but not in a personal savior or personal God. I'm sure that while on the campaign trail, this particular aspect of their beliefs was not emphasized. Included on the list of deists is Thomas Jefferson, my favorite President and the author of our Declaration of Independence. Apparently, Jefferson did not believe in the divinity of Christ, and saw him instead as a figurehead for social justice.
I doubt that Jefferson would be elected today, based on his beliefs and the political power held by the Religious Right. No matter how you look at it, religion impacts politics.
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