National Atheist Party Response to Mitt Romney's Presidential Debate Statement on US Relgion

Online, October 6, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Candidate Mitt Romney Oblivious to Religious Freedom in 2012 Debate.
Florence, Kentucky --

During last night's debate, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney talked of all Americans as being of uniform religious beliefs.

During his closing remarks, candidate Romney reminded the audience that the US Constitution declares that Americans are "endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights," and went on to smugly conclude that "we're a nation that believes that we're all children of the same God."

In a heated presidential race which has seen each candidate trying to out-christian each other, this obtuse statement was seen by many as a gross disregard for America's wide variety of religious beliefs. "Romney's statement (that we are all children of the same God) implies that he is either unaware of the religious diversity that exists in this country, or that his vision doesn't include those of differing ideologies. In either case, he is revealed as a religious bigot without an appreciation for secularism," responded Troy Boyle, President of The National Atheist Party.

Governor Romney is a former bishop in the Mormon church, the Latter Day Saints. According to the writings of Joseph Smith (the founder of the Mormon faith), Mormons believe that their God was originally a human from another planet, and that by following Mormon precepts, male church members can become gods themselves to rule over other planets in the universe.

Knowing of these beliefs, religious and nonreligious groups alike took to the internet and social media immediately after the debate to protest Mr. Romney's exclusionary remark. Troy Boyle went on to say that "No matter how much Mr. Romney wishes that to be the case, it is simply an outright lie, and how dare he have the arrogance to even assume such nonsense."

The National Atheist Party (NAP) is deeply concerned that if elected, Governor Romney will feign ignorance to the civil rights of atheists and agnostics in the United States. Boyle finished by adding that "while we do not wish to inhibit anyone's practice of the religion of their choice, we do not want government to engage in the practice or the perception of engaging in the practice of promoting any one religion."

The National Atheist Party is a non-profit, 527 political organization devoted to issue advocacy and guided by the values of secular humanism and evidenced-based reasoning. The party seeks to politically represent U.S. atheists and all who share the goal of a secular government by gathering the political strength of secularists nationwide. To learn more about the party, visit www.usanap.org.

Posted Oct 5, 2012
Lance A. Sievert
Press Secretary
National Atheist Party