Why it matters that 7 states still have bans on atheists holding office

[3catwoman3]

16. Thank you. The notion that man was made in...

...god's image seems quite backwards to me. Humans have made their gods in their own image - petty, vain, and vengeful. Nothing superior or worship-worthy about that.

Even during my relatively brief involvement with Christianity in late high school (late 1960s), I was never comfortable with the exclusivity of Christianity. I was completely unable to go out and "witness" or ask people to accept Jesus as their lord and savior. The whole "No one gets to the Father except through me" never sat well with me. What about people who never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus, for a wide variety of reasons - are they doomed because of lack of information? My way or the highway doesn't cut it.

I like to think that if a supreme power exists, and has an important message to impart, wouldn't he/she/it be wise enough and compassionate enough to present that message in a variety of ways? Especially if he/she/it is likened to a loving parent. There were many things I wanted to teach our sons, now 30 and 32, when they were young. If I had only one way to explain something important, and they didn't seem to get it, was I just going to give up, or would I keep at it until I found the explanation that resonated with them? Obviously, the latter.

I had much the same approach in my job. If I was trying to explain to a parent how to manage their child's illness, and I could tell it wasn't clicking with them, was I just supposed to say, "Oh well, too bad. You're on your own"? Certainly not. I would keep at it until I saw that little light of understanding in their eyes.