With all of the recent talk about "electability" I decided to try and figure out what the highest office an admitted atheist has ever held. I actually couldn't find one (I found some talk about an "Atheist" congressman, but he was actually a Unitarian Universalist... close, but no cigar).
We all know that most American's consider atheists to be untrustworthy and while we talk seriously about the chances of Black, Jewish or female presidential candidates the very idea of an atheist candidate is laughable. But are they truly "unelectable"? The United States Constitution has this to say on the matter: "... but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." Apparently many states don't agree. At least seven state constitutions have specific clauses which REQUIRE a belief in God to hold public office of any kind. Some of them extend to declaring non-believers as incompetent to bear witness! For example Arkansas has this wonderful clause: "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." Texas says this: "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." North Carolina: "Disqualifications of office. The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God." South Carolina: "No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor who denies the existence of the Supreme Being..." Mississippi: "No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state." Tennessee: "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." Finally Maryland: "...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." So... while I do wholeheartedly agree that blacks, Jews, women, gays and many other minorities are disgustingly and systematically discriminated against it seems that, in America at least, only atheists are still formally and legally discriminated against. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade to ColdFusion 8 and integrate with Adobe Flex http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=RVJP Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:243185 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
