I asked the wrong question.
can a free thinker be religious. Yes for the same reason they can a an atheist. A free thinker chooses to walk their own path. They don't care if their thoughts are considered wrong

I think that by having the ability to think freely one is able to accept or dismiss thought under any circumstance.

Freethinking includes being able to accept that there are phenomena that one cannot grasp without feeling the need to invent a magician who is behind all the mysteries. Gravity, magnetism, quarks are all rather mysterious for the outsider, but they don't necessitate the invention of a god or hordes of gods.

No. Free thinking is assessing the possibilities and coming to the determination of what is real. One must consider all possibilities before one can make the determination of what is and is not plausible or fact. If one rejects information before one considers its merit they are not a free thinker.

Which god are you talking about?

If there's a god, it's not one that I find worthy of worship.

Free thinking includes the ability to dismiss it.

Freethinking used to be a code word for being an Atheist when it was more of a dirty word.

Yes, of course.
The god paradigm is something evolution is moving humanity past at its painfully slow pace. Eventually one more god receeds to the realm of myth.

This is not a yes/no type of question since freethinking is much more than that

As expected, your poll so-far, shows a majority for yes.

I chose no. The question's form necessitated it. While it makes sense that a person who thinks freely/independently would reject existence of gods; given the total lack of evidence, it doesn't all by itself, qualify one as a free thinker.

I've read many an opinion post here and elsewhere by atheists that show little to no progress toward actual independent thinking or unwillingness to worship this or that godlike personality as blindly as any Fundamentalist praises Jesus or Mohamed.

Free thinkers aren't characterized by romanticized gushing and rapturous praising of personalities as one sees so blatantly in the political realm. It matters not which end of the socio-political spectrum. They one and all worship their leaders blindly and curse and demonize the opposition's leaders. It's like a mindless pack of juveniles cheering and jeering at a Punch and Judy show.

That said, it is also IMPOSSIBLE for any independent thinking person to evaluate and decide upon a position on ANY hotly disputed topic or candidate in the socio-political minefield without being categorized by one or the other opposition as arch-evil, deluded or worse yet, stupid! Why? Because dedicated partisans can only see things in pack terms causes them to attack anything that invades their barren intellectual territory as viciously as a pack of dogs will attack violators of their physical territory.

Many politician, and for that matter, scientist worshiping atheists have a long, difficult journey. Dare to question. Dare to argue. Dare to refute. Dare to be called names and to be hated. That is exactly what will happen. There might be no such thing as entirely free thought, but rejection by all lunatic fringes is the best evidence of at least being on the road to a state of intellectual freedom.

Until better information is available...