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Star Member cbayer (131,721 posts) Barney Frank: Why I didn’t talk about my atheism while serving in Congress http://chrisstedman.religionnews.com/2014/06/06/barney-frank-didnt-talk-atheism-serving-congress/ Chris Stedman | Jun 6, 2014 Former Congressman Barney Frank. Photo courtesy Frank. This weekend, the American Humanist Association (AHA) will honor former Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts with their 2014 Humanist of the Year award. Last year, Frank—a trailblazing politician who was the first member of Congress to come out as gay and the first to be in a same-sex marriage while in office—revealed his atheism in an interview with Bill Maher. The atheist and Humanist community has enthusiastically embraced him; earlier this year he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism award by the Humanist Community at Harvard. In advance of his appearance at the AHA’s 73rd annual conference tonight (Friday), I spoke with Frank about Humanism, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) rights, and atheism and politics. Below, he shares how anti-Semitism impacted his decision not to talk about his nontheism sooner, his advice for atheists who want to run for public office, what he considers the most pressing issues for nontheists and LGBTQ people today, and how responses to his nontheism have differed from responses to his sexual orientation. - See more at: http://chrisstedman.religionnews.com/2014/06/06/barney-frank-didnt-talk-atheism-serving-congress/#sthash.h2FJ00mh.dpuf
Star Member progressoid (31,458 posts) 37. Not for religious reasons?I think you're dismissing the intense distrust and outright hatred Americans have for Atheists. Even in liberal/blue areas, politicians know better than to announce their atheism while in office. People distrust Atheists more than teh Gays. Frank knew this. He would have better luck coming out as a Muslim. It's not about turning his back on Israel, but turning his back on God®
MADem (101,466 posts) 42. They don't like trick-turning escorts cohabiting with congressional reps eitherBut some people are just so compelling in their work ethic that they can overcome what some might regard as the insurmountable. Are you not familiar with his history? Barney is a force of nature. He was involved in a scandal of epic proportions, involving drugs and a young man who was both a paramour and a prostitute who was turning tricks in HIS house, while he was still in the closet, that would have brought an ordinary schmuck to their knees, crawling away to obscurity and shame-- and he survived it and won reelection by a landslide. Being gay back when this scandal broke wasn't "nothing but a thing," everyone thought it would be the end of Barney. EXCEPT his constituents, who knew better. You think that just anyone could have managed that? He was fortunate in that he had the capacity to deliver for his constituents and his constituents were smarter than the average voters. I'm telling you, they could not possibly give even a small fart, never mind two shits, about what Barney did with his bits or what or if he worshiped. It just did not matter. He answered the demands of his constituency, be it that road that needs widening or a full-throated defense of harvesting prerogatives for fishermen. He had some of the best constituent services in the delegation, he had committee clout, and he followed through. No one cared about his religious practices or lack thereof--at least not in his HIS district, and that's all that mattered. MA is not like other states, and his district (before redistricting, anyway) was NOT like other districts, either.
MADem (101,466 posts) 42. They don't like trick-turning escorts cohabiting with congressional reps eitherBut some people are just so compelling in their work ethic that they can overcome what some might regard as the insurmountable. Are you not familiar with his history? Barney is a force of nature. He was involved in a scandal of epic proportions, involving drugs and a young man who was both a paramour and a prostitute who was turning tricks in HIS house, while he was still in the closet, that would have brought an ordinary schmuck to their knees, crawling away to obscurity and shame-- and he survived it and won reelection by a landslide. Being gay back when this scandal broke wasn't "nothing but a thing," everyone thought it would be the end of Barney. EXCEPT his constituents, who knew better.
You think that just anyone could have managed that? He was fortunate in that he had the capacity to deliver for his constituents and his constituents were smarter than the average voters. I'm telling you, they could not possibly give even a small fart, never mind two shits, about what Barney did with his bits or what or if he worshiped. It just did not matter. He answered the demands of his constituency, be it that road that needs widening or a full-throated defense of harvesting prerogatives for fishermen. He had some of the best constituent services in the delegation, he had committee clout, and he followed through. No one cared about his religious practices or lack thereof--at least not in his HIS district, and that's all that mattered. MA is not like other states, and his district (before redistricting, anyway) was NOT like other districts, either.
A criminal,lying,leftist,pole smoking deviant and pervert hates God.Who would have guessed that?
Act_of_Reparation (847 posts) 1. Summed up in one sentence: "I wouldn't have been electable."
Response to Act_of_Reparation (Reply #1)Fri Jun 6, 2014, 11:59 AMStar Member cbayer (131,727 posts) 2. Except he never says that.
Response to cbayer (Reply #2)Fri Jun 6, 2014, 12:04 PMAct_of_Reparation (847 posts) 3. Except he does. Right here: QuoteAnd it’s complicated by my Jewishness. Obviously, being Jewish is both an ethnicity and a religion. I was concerned that if I were to explicitly disavow any religiosity, it could get distorted into an effort to distance myself from being Jewish—and I thought that was wrong, given that there is anti-Jewish prejudice.
And it’s complicated by my Jewishness. Obviously, being Jewish is both an ethnicity and a religion. I was concerned that if I were to explicitly disavow any religiosity, it could get distorted into an effort to distance myself from being Jewish—and I thought that was wrong, given that there is anti-Jewish prejudice.
