There has been lots of coverage lately regarding Elizabeth Dole's vicious attack ad, which calls her opponent, Kay Hagan, essentially a Godless American. While I agree that the ad is despicable and in many ways, an abomination, I have yet another bone to pick over the outcry against the ad itself.

Remember when that sad, unkempt old lady at a McCain rally called Barack Obama an Arab and McCain oh-so-heroically stepped in and said "No Ma'am...he's a decent family man?" I do. And while many around me applauded McCain's attempt to defend his opponent against the hate speech at his rallies (which was quickly spiraling out of control) I remained upset at him for not calling out the true issue with the woman's hateful, ignorant comments. As Campbell Brown, and a few others pointed out: what's so wrong with being an Arab? If he were an Arab, would it matter? The answer is, and should always be no. 

Frankly, I felt exactly the same way when I saw Elizabeth Dole's latest ad. It saddens me that Kay Hagan felt the need to defend her religiosity and assure her potential constituents that she was once a Sunday school teacher and does indeed believe in God. Again, this begs the question: Would it matter if she didn't?

 Apparently, it would. 

 Let me state this outright: I don't believe in God. I understand why some people might find that disturbing, and while I appreciate concern for my eternal fate, I still have to ask: why exactly does my atheism make me ineligible for public office? Does not believing in an anthropomorphic being sitting on a cloud ten miles up make me a bad person? I don't think so. And I think if you asked those who know me, they'd agree. The real issue with Elizabeth Dole's ad, and one of the many reasons it's so slimy is that it implies that to be Godless (or atheist), is to somehow be unelectable and morally dubious. Let me tell you, Senator Dole, I have morals coming out my ears. As for you, on the other hand, I'm not so sure. 

 So the real reprehensible nature of her ad is two-fold: One, it's completely false and makes Kay Hagan out to be someone she utterly isn't. And two, its conclusions are based on a false premise: that to be an atheist is to be immoral and to be incapable of effectively serving one's community.