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18 Rutgers J. L. & Religion 1 (2016-2017)

handle is hein.journals/rjlr18 and id is 1 raw text is: 










       IN GOD   WE   TRUST: THE LACK OF ATHEIST
            REPRESENTATION ON THE BENCH

                       Elizabeth C. Kingston*

                         Table  of Contents

INTRODUCTION.........................................2
I. RELIGION  IN AMERICA...................................3
  A.Establishing Religious  Freedom   and  a  Judeo-Christian  Nation
  ................................4
  B.Religion in America Today...............................6
  C.American  Atheism......................................7
       1.Atheism Defined                    ..................................7
       2.The Perception of Nonbelief in the United States.................10
       3.Current  Demographics  of  Nonbelief  in  the United  States
       ...............................14
II. Religion in the Judiciary..............................16
  A.Religious Demography in the Judiciary................    .....16
  B.The  Influences of a Judge's Religion on Decision-Making  and the
  Public............................................... 19
       1. Religion's Influences in the Judiciary...................20
       2. Impact of a Lack of Diversity on the Public.... .............22
  C.The Role of Religion in the Judicial Election and Appointment Processes
  ...............................23
III. Bringing Atheism  to the Bench.....................25
Conclusion...........................................32





*      Research Attorney, Michigan Court of Appeals. Michigan State
University College of Law, J.D., 2016; Grand Valley State University, B.S., Legal
Studies, History, 2012. Unless specified otherwise, any opinions expressed in this
article are the viewpoints of the author, and do not necessarily represent the
position of any institution with respect to which the author is employed or
affiliated. The author would like to thank George and Anita Kingston for their
support and encouragement.

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