Godlessness in the Capitol

[dougo]

US Representative Pete Stark says he is "a Unitarian who does not believe in a Supreme Being", making him the first elected official at the national level to come out of that particular closet. The Secular Coalition for America has been on a campaign to get elected officials to publicly identify themselves as "atheist, agnostic, humanist or any other kind of nontheist", but so far only three others have: "Terry S. Doran, president of the School Board in Berkeley, Calif.; Nancy Glista on the School Committee in Franklin, Maine; and Michael Cerone, a Town Meeting Member from Arlington, Mass." (Go Arlington!)

Edit: I forgot to say, Stark represents California's 13th district, south of Oakland.

Comments

[nosrednayduj]

I'm guessing there are more. I've just pointed this out to valerie_white, who is a longtime member of the American Humanist Assoc and likely to know of more. Maybe she'll post. She lost the election she ran for, but I don't think it was to do with her religion (or lack thereof).

[ahkond.livejournal.com]

How is a Town Meeting Member different from a voting resident of the town? I thought a town meeting was, well, everybody.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

It's an Arlington thing, apparently. I guess it's a representative meeting.

[pfranzosa.livejournal.com]

That's right....12 meeting members are elected from each of 21 precincts

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

Cool. I heard about this quest a few weeks ago. Glad to hear there are people outing themselves.

[pfranzosa.livejournal.com]

Hooray! ...from an Agnostic in Arlington. In that "interconnected world" theme: I wonder if Representative Stark is a member of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland where the minister is Reverend Kathy Huff whose previous position was the Assistant Minister at First Parish Arlington!

[jtemperance.livejournal.com]

He's been around a long time. It's surprising that this would just now become news.