American Atheists Barred from holding Office

@Thomas,

Well that was a loud laugh from me.

Plate thief!

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@edgarblythe,

I didn't know about any of this because, frankly, it never occurred to me that it would be possible for any state to have such an anti-atheist law, given the clear proscription of establishment of religion in the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution. It boggles the mind.

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

The provisions were mostly enacted before the 14th Amendment, when none of the US constitution's Bill of Rights applied to the States yet. Also, the original intent of the provisions was often to broaden religious minorities' access to public service. Under the Brits, it had pretty much been Church-of-England only.

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@Thomas,

Ok, thanks for chasing this. I thought something was weird.

Maybe it was the Reuters article.

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@Thomas,

Thomas wrote:

The provisions were mostly enacted before the 14th Amendment, when none of the US constitution's Bill of Rights applied to the States yet.

I did a little googling: All the provisions happened before the Supreme Court incorporated the non-establishment clause via the 14th Amendment in Everson v. Board of Education (1946). (I was not able to find the case in which the Supreme Court incorporated the no-religious-tests clause.)

Still, three State Constitutions --- Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas --- enacted their prohibitions after the 14th Amendment came into effect in 1868.

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@Thomas,

I gather this isn't active, ignored like a lot of other old stuff. So, a kind of pfeffernusse put up by the Reuters reporter/s.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cfsT733VnQU/SuIKYyzZCeI/AAAAAAAADIY/O3CYndY5jDk/s400/PICT6869.JPG

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Both Massachusetts and Connecticut had religious establishments (the Congregationalist Church) well into the 19th century. That old faker Thoreau was actually threatened with jail for failing to pay his church tax. A well-wisher paid it for him.

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@edgarblythe,

Quote:

The thing to do it seems to me is to first get elected and then announce one's atheism.

Yeh but youd have to get thgrough the bvlahblah blah blah"so help you God" part, and youd be LYING under oath no?

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@farmerman,

No, I guess you can put your hand on something else, if you dare.

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@Thomas,

Thomas wrote:

Still, three State Constitutions --- Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas --- enacted their prohibitions after the 14th Amendment came into effect in 1868.

Is it fair to suggest these state laws are dormant like most states' blue laws and have never been enforced in the past ... say 20 or so years?

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@tsarstepan,

I suggested that already. Don't ignore me because I talk cookies.

I'm giving myself solace with some gelato.

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@farmerman,

Why wouldn't an Atheist just lie. It is not like oaths would matter to someone who doesn't believe in God.

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@maxdancona,

Tell me you are kidding.

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@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

Why wouldn't an Atheist just lie. It is not like oaths would matter to someone who doesn't believe in God.

Well, max, lying under oath constitutes a felony. Some people might be a wee bit leery of the possible consequences of having perjured themselves. God is quie beside the point.

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

Why wouldn't an Atheist just lie. It is not like oaths would matter to someone who doesn't believe in God.

No, but there are other reasons why people, including atheists, despise liars and hypocrites. Why would an atheist want to become one of them?

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

edit, this was to Max, not Andrew

I think I was brought up in lies of many sorts. I try not to do that.

So, tell me about yourself.

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@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

Is it fair to suggest these state laws are dormant like most states' blue laws and have never been enforced in the past ... say 20 or so years?

No, they are still being enforced. Here is Herb Silverman telling his story on YouTube. (If you want to skip the introduction, the actual talk starts at 1:40 minutes.) He appplied to become a South-Carolina notary public. South Carolina rejected him. He sued in court and won. South Carolina kept appealing until, after seven years, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided for Silverman. I found the talk fun to watch.

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@Thomas,

This thread assumes that the Atheist in question does want to become a liar and a hypocrite.

If he didn't then he would choose an honest profession like nursing or teaching.

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That's an idiotic contention. The thread assumes no such thing. There is nothing inherent in being an atheist which would mitigate against public service.

1 Reply

@Setanta,

That wasn't my contention. You completely turned around what I said.

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American Atheists Barred from holding Office

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