Bernie Sanders on Religion and God

[Cheerful Charlie]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...429390-bfb0-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html


“I am not actively involved with organized religion,” Sanders said in a recent interview.
....

Sanders said he believes in God, though not necessarily in a traditional manner.
“I think everyone believes in God in their own ways,” he said. “To me, it means that all of us are connected, all of life is connected, and that we are all tied together.”
...

“I can’t tell you how seldom we talked about religion,” said Stanley “Huck” Gutman, a professor of English at the University of Vermont and Sanders’s former chief of staff. Gutman then described his friend’s moral code in terms of core religious tenets.
“He often talks about ‘the ethical thing to do,’ ” said Gutman, “and his ethics are shaped by a concern for social justice and for other human beings that is part of a Judeo-Christian tradition.”
Larry Sanders sums up his brother’s views this way: “He is quite substantially not religious.”


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Sanders seems to believe in a Spinozan sort of God.

 

[rousseau]

"I'm an atheist but if I say the word atheist a republican will probably shoot me"

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politi...15/0611/Bernie-Sanders-I-m-proud-to-be-Jewish

Washington — How does Sen. Bernie Sanders’s religious heritage inform his politics?

“I’m proud to be Jewish,” the Independent from Vermont – and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination – responded Thursday at a press breakfast hosted by the Monitor. Though, he added, “I’m not particularly religious.”
As a child, Sanders said, being Jewish taught him “in a very deep way what politics is about.”

“A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932,” the senator said. “He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including 6 million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important.”

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[Cheerful Charlie]

http://www.celebatheists.com/wiki/Bernie_Sanders

In October of 2015 Bernie Sanders was on Jimmy Kimmel live. Bernie didn't profess a theistic belief, indicated he didn't believe in god, and promoted the ideals humanism. He was referred to as a cultural jew which by many accounts is a non-believer who feels a kinship with the jewish people and religion whether that be by celebrating certain holidays or by acting what they perceive as "jewish." Celebatheists site owner and well known atheist Brian Sapient has referred to himself as culturally jewish, as well as American Atheists President, David Silverman.
Jimmy Kimmel says "A moment ago you said God forbid, you say you're culturally jewish, do you believe in god? Bernie instantly says, "No" while Jimmy is mid sentence

Jimmy goes on to ask: And do you think that's important to the people of the United States?

Bernie Sanders replies: Well I am what I am, and what I believe in, what my spirituality is about, is that we're all in this together. I think it's not a good thing to believe that as human beings we can turn our backs on the suffering of other people.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politi...15/0611/Bernie-Sanders-I-m-proud-to-be-Jewish

Washington — How does Sen. Bernie Sanders’s religious heritage inform his politics?

“I’m proud to be Jewish,” the Independent from Vermont – and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination – responded Thursday at a press breakfast hosted by the Monitor. Though, he added, “I’m not particularly religious.”
As a child, Sanders said, being Jewish taught him “in a very deep way what politics is about.”

“A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932,” the senator said. “He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including 6 million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important.”

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Hitler was never elected to anything, not even in 1932. He was appointed Chancellor in 1933.

 

[Underseer]

"I'm an atheist but if I say the word atheist a republican will probably shoot me"

You say that like there is something wrong with shooting atheists. Oh my God stop persecuting Christians for the crime of being morally superior to you! We're so oppressed! [/christian]

 

[bilby]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politi...15/0611/Bernie-Sanders-I-m-proud-to-be-Jewish

Washington — How does Sen. Bernie Sanders’s religious heritage inform his politics?

“I’m proud to be Jewish,” the Independent from Vermont – and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination – responded Thursday at a press breakfast hosted by the Monitor. Though, he added, “I’m not particularly religious.”
As a child, Sanders said, being Jewish taught him “in a very deep way what politics is about.”

“A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932,” the senator said. “He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including 6 million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important.”

-------

Hitler was never elected to anything, not even in 1932. He was appointed Chancellor in 1933.

That rather depends on what we mean by 'elected'. Certainly, Hitler lost his Presidential election bid to von Hindenburg in 1932; so in that 'personal' sense, he didn't win election. And his appointment as Chancellor didn't require a popular vote.

But German politics during the Weimar period, like that of many European nations (including Germany) today, includes party elections, in which the leader of the party with the most seats is held to be the winner. And by that measure, Hitler can quite correctly be said to have won the 1933 Reichstag election, in which his NSDAP won more seats than any other party. They didn't win a majority of seats, nor did they gain a majority of votes. But that doesn't mean Hitler didn't win, any more than David Cameron can be said not to have been elected Prime Minister of the UK in 2010.

Hitler, as head of the Nazi party, was the winner of the 1933 Reichstag election. Sanders was mistaken to say he won in 1932, as that year he came second in the Presidential race. But he did win an election in 1933, and I don't think a one year discrepancy in recalling an event from eight decades ago is a major gaffe.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Hitler was never elected to anything, not even in 1932. He was appointed Chancellor in 1933.

That rather depends on what we mean by 'elected'. Certainly, Hitler lost his Presidential election bid to von Hindenburg in 1932; so in that 'personal' sense, he didn't win election. And his appointment as Chancellor didn't require a popular vote.

But German politics during the Weimar period, like that of many European nations (including Germany) today, includes party elections, in which the leader of the party with the most seats is held to be the winner. And by that measure, Hitler can quite correctly be said to have won the 1933 Reichstag election, in which his NSDAP won more seats than any other party. They didn't win a majority of seats, nor did they gain a majority of votes. But that doesn't mean Hitler didn't win, any more than David Cameron can be said not to have been elected Prime Minister of the UK in 2010.

Hitler, as head of the Nazi party, was the winner of the 1933 Reichstag election. Sanders was mistaken to say he won in 1932, as that year he came second in the Presidential race. But he did win an election in 1933, and I don't think a one year discrepancy in recalling an event from eight decades ago is a major gaffe.

That was hardly a free and fair election.

 

[bilby]

That rather depends on what we mean by 'elected'. Certainly, Hitler lost his Presidential election bid to von Hindenburg in 1932; so in that 'personal' sense, he didn't win election. And his appointment as Chancellor didn't require a popular vote.

But German politics during the Weimar period, like that of many European nations (including Germany) today, includes party elections, in which the leader of the party with the most seats is held to be the winner. And by that measure, Hitler can quite correctly be said to have won the 1933 Reichstag election, in which his NSDAP won more seats than any other party. They didn't win a majority of seats, nor did they gain a majority of votes. But that doesn't mean Hitler didn't win, any more than David Cameron can be said not to have been elected Prime Minister of the UK in 2010.

Hitler, as head of the Nazi party, was the winner of the 1933 Reichstag election. Sanders was mistaken to say he won in 1932, as that year he came second in the Presidential race. But he did win an election in 1933, and I don't think a one year discrepancy in recalling an event from eight decades ago is a major gaffe.

That was hardly a free and fair election.

While US presidential elections that have voter turnout that rarely reaches the 55% mark, and mid-terms that have turnouts around the 40% mark, are genuinely representative of the people?

Every election has its problems; the 1933 German Federal Election was worse than many, with widespread intimidation of voters. But there are plenty of recognised 'elected' world leaders today whose elections were no better.

Hitler won by the use of intimidation, misinformation and propaganda aimed at stirring up fear of an ethnic minority.

If you think that those tactics invalidate an election, then there are plenty of political parties out there today whose elected representatives are illegitimate; Bernie didn't say that Hitler won fairly; he (correctly) said that he won, in the context of cautioning that, if people are apathetic, similar unpleasantness could happen again.

 

[Ramaraksha]

Sadly we seem stuck with old outdated ideas of God - believe is another word for loyalty - God made in the image of the local king and who demanded loyalty before the subject/slave was accepted into the kingdom - 2,000 years later we are still using the same stupid rule. A being who made this huge universe is only concerned with whether we believe or not? Do you go by an ant-hill, see these creatures scurrying about without worrying about you, and do you get angry that they are not bowing to you? It's as silly as it gets - but religions have a vested interested in pushing belief - it's not just any belief but belief in THEIR God that they are after, pushing a slave like mentality on its members means that they are easier to control and exploit and they have done well with this method
Back in the day that is how one got a job - you knew someone, you got a job - in corrupt countries that is how jobs, promotions and contracts are handed out - cronies, sycophants got the plum stuff - God's realm is no better?
Today things are different, we now have learn to EARN - nobody is going to give us anything, we must Earn it - job, promotion, contracts are ALL Earned. The way to God is also Earned - by our actions, the way we talk, treat others - being a good human being - that is what is important, not who we pray to or how we pray to
But such ideas won't sit well with established religions and they will continue to push for belief
At some point we have get rid of this brainwashing that has been done, reading the comments makes me depressed

 

[Underseer]

That was hardly a free and fair election.

While US presidential elections that have voter turnout that rarely reaches the 55% mark, and mid-terms that have turnouts around the 40% mark, are genuinely representative of the people?

[...]

Yes, but America has fewer gun laws, therefore we have more democracy than you, whereas you live under a totalitarian nightmare. Therefore, American elections represent the will of the people, but Australian elections are just shams. [/conservolibertarian]