This
video mentions state constitutions that ban atheist congress members. This
seemed moderately ludicrous. My own atheism is complicated, and it's rare to
meet someone who doesn't instantly start making assumptions about why I'm an
atheist, but I'm hardly one to say that atheists are under attack or facing the
same kind of discrimination other minorities are treated to. There is a certain
amount of resistance to atheists, sure. But it's mostly annoying assumptions
about your (lack of) beliefs.
Which is why I found the idea of multiple
states banning atheists in their government so weird. I decided to check it
out. Good ol' Wikipedia giving me little more than a link to the relevant state
constitutions. This meant I had to peruse the contents myself.
So here they are, a countdown of sorts of
the states that outlaw atheism:
South Carolina:
Article 27, Section 4 states: "No person who denies the existence of a
Supreme Being shall hold any office under this constitution."
Arkansas: Article 2, Section 26 states: "No
religious test shall ever be required of any person as a qualification to vote
or hold office; nor shall any person be rendered incompetent to be a witness on
account of his[sic] religious belief; but nothing herein shall be construed to
dispense with oaths or affirmations."
While Article 19, Section 1 states:
"No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the
civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in
any court."
Mississippi:
Article 3, Section 18 states: "No religious test as a qualification
for office shall be required; and no preference shall be given by law to any
religious sect or mode of worship; but
the free enjoyment of all religious sentiments and the different modes of
worship shall be held sacred. The rights hereby secured shall not be construed
to justify acts of licentiousness injurious to morals or dangerous to the peace
and safety of the state, or to exclude the Holy Bible from use in any public
school of this state. "
While Article 14, Section 265 states:
"No person who denies the existence of a supreme being shall hold any
office in this state."
Tennessee:
Article 1, Section 4 states: "That no political or religious test,
other than an oath to support the Constitution of the United States and of this
state, shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust
under this state."
While Article 9, Section 2 states: "No
person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and
punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."
The following two are the strangest of the
bunch. The first one up there, South Carolina, never made it unconstitutional
to have a test of religious faith for their civil leadership. Technically they
never contravened their own constitution. The bill of rights for Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee all
contained language that specifically outlawed having a test of religious faith.
Each of these states also had, buried in the misc. section at the end of their
constitution, a statute that said you had to have some form of belief in a
supernatural power in order to be eligible for public office. They have each
clearly made a portion of their own constitution unconstitutional. It's almost
zen.
But these two really take the cake. First
up,
Texas:
Article 1, Section 4 - "RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a
qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall anyone
be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments,
provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."
In other words, you don’t have to pass a
religious test to attain public office, so long as you have a religion.
Maryland:
Article 36 - "That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in
such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him, all persons are equally
entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore, no person ought
by any law to be molested in his person or estate, on account of his religious
persuasion, or profession, or for his religious practice, unless, under the
color of religion, he shall disturb the good order, peace or safety of the
State, or shall infringe the laws of morality, or injure others in their
natural, civil or religious rights; nor ought any person to be compelled to
frequent, or maintain, or contribute, unless on contract, to maintain, any
place of worship, or any ministry; nor shall any person, otherwise competent,
be deemed incompetent as a witness, or juror, on account of his religious
belief; provided, he believes in the existence of God, and that under His
dispensation such person will be held morally accountable for his acts, and be
rewarded or punished therefor either in this world or in the world to come.
Nothing shall prohibit or require the
making reference to belief in, reliance upon, or invoking the aid of God or a
Supreme Being in any governmental or public document, proceeding, activity,
ceremony, school, institution, or place.
Nothing in this article shall constitute an
establishment of religion"
And Article 37 - "That no religious
test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or
trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of
God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath
prescribed by this Constitution."
Texas, and especially Maryland, have
managed to hold two completely contradictory ideas at once - That no religious
test be required to hold office, and that you must be religious to hold office.
This seems totally nonsensical to me. At least South Carolina isn't
contradictory, even if they're flat out bigoted. But I can't comprehend Texas
and Maryland. Maybe because I haven't attained full buddha yet. Here we have
these two states who managed, in one statement, to hold that religion is of no
importance, and that it is of utmost importance. Maryland has achieved full
zen.
Good job, assholes.
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