Right one evolvebeyondgod , Your ending pasted here rings bells. I often say deists were "safe" Atheists, and shit, even "Jesus" too, who wasn't safe enough ! ..... btw I had a band called Thomas Jefferson, what a cool gang the founding fathers were, brewers of booze and all ...... 

----------------------------------------------- your ending I shortened,

"A new study.... It says that 16% of the 35,000 people interviewed are not affiliated with any faith, though only 4% label themselves as atheist. 

.... most nonbelievers are reluctant to use the "A word" ...... so I'm ready to assume most of that 16% is atheist in all practical applications, which means up to 48 million Americans could be nonbelievers or atheist. 

This is a minority larger than senior citizens, blacks or homosexuals.  It is even larger than the entire United States hispanic population, which was 13.4% in 2002, according to census data.

It also suggests that if an atheist were to run for president, there could be a huge voting bloc of previously ignored voters, waiting for the opportunity to punch a ballot for a nonbeliever.  Will it ever happen? " 

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YES, eventually, thanks to teachers like you, all the sooner.