In a resent post I talked about a news article about a man who couldn't get custody of his son cause he was an atheist. It was pointed out that the article was from 1970 and had been over tuned (my fault for not noticing the date and not doing the proper research)
So I decided to look into anti-atheist laws in America. So I did a search for "anti-atheist laws"
1 Article 19, Section 1: "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".
2 Declaration of Rights, Art. 36: "...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..."
Declaration of Rights, Art. 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. "3 Article 6, Section 8: "The following persons shall be disqualified for office:
First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God. "4 Article 1, Section 4: "No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth."
5 Article 6, Section 4: "No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."
6 Article 9, Section 2: "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. "
7 Article 1, Section 4: "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."
Article 4, Section 2: "No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor who denies the existence of the Supreme Being...."
Article 6, Section 2: "No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."
Arkansas' Constitution of 1874 (Article 19, Section 1) states: "Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness. 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."[23]
North Carolina's Constitution of 1971 (Article 6, Sectionstates: "Disqualifications of office. The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God...."[24]. This was challenged and overturned by Voswinkel v. Hunt (1979).
South Carolina's Constitution of 2006 (Article 6, Section 2) states: "Person denying existence of Supreme Being not to hold office. No person who denies the existence of the Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."[25]
Tennessee's Constitution/Bill of Rights (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."[26]
Texas' Constitution: The Bill of Rights (Article I, Section 4) last amended on September 13, 2003 states that an official may be "excluded from holding office" if she/he does not "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being."[27] Overturned by O'Hair v. Hill (1978-84).
Maryland's Bill of Rights:[28]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 therefore either in this world or in the world to come."
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."
Overturned by SCOTUS in Torcaso v. Watkins.[29]
If you know of more post them in the comments.
Wow, interesting stuff…somehow confilicts with my idea of freedom, liberty, and democracy….
And yet, there are those aplenty in the US who condemn other nations who enforce a religion – isn’t this just the same thing? In effect saying one has no right to equality if one does not share the same beliefs as the religious, i.e believes in some kind of God? There is no proof that believing in a God makes one person more capable than a non-believer to hold a civil office or testify in a court.
There is proof. How else do you explain the fact that America became a great nation. We identified America with Biblical Truths. God did this not mere man. We did not have “serious” problems in our schools until they removed God and replaced him with condoms in our schools. Before they took God out of the schools. The biggest problem the schools faced were spit balls and paper airplanes and pencils in the ceiling. BTW – Seperation of church and state was to keep the gov’t out of the church. Not the other way around. God is above politics, although he places gov’t in place. He is not suprised, he blesses us either way. He is able to use those that hate him for his agenda. That is just cool!
Wrong on all counts.
This country was secularist from the beginning, it had nothing to do with “biblical truths”. God was only mention in the declaration of independents (and only vaguely, in a way that could mean any god) but not in the constitution. It was later that politicians decided to put God in the government.
The schools have had problems when god was in schools. You may not have always herd about it but they where there. In fact there were more probloms, children who where not Christan forrced to say Christan prayers.
The separation of church and state is meant to be a separation of church (religion) and state (government)
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man & his god, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state.”
-Thomas Jefferson
By the way, the only biblical truth is that the bible is horrible, evil document full of murder, genocide, sexism, homophobia and more.
Whatever happened to “every man created equal”?
Unfortunately, its only in resent times that the government actually started taking that phase seriously and the government has failed at it.
I just thought of something; if that phase was used by some one during the height of the cold war (not in reference to the declarations of independents) they would probably have been called a communist.