December 12, 2014 6:45 AM

Sorry, but we follow and enforce only the laws God tells us to

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A bookkeeper named Roy Torcaso, who happened to be an atheist, refused to declare that he believed in God in order to serve as a notary public in Maryland. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and in 1961 the court ruled unanimously for Mr. Torcaso, saying states could not have a “religious test” for public office. But 53 years later, Maryland and six other states still have articles in their constitutions saying people who do not believe in God are not eligible to hold public office. Maryland’s Constitution still says belief in God is a requirement even for jurors and witnesses.

While living in Texas, I ran for Governor as a write-in candidate, but had I defied the exceedingly long odds and been elected, I could have faced a very sticky situation. I was living in one of seven states (Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, and Texas)- all in the South; go figure- that have articles in their Constitutions preventing atheists from holding elected office. I don’t believe in God, and in the unlikely chance I’d have been elected, I would have refused to declare that I believe in God. What that would have done to my eligibility is an open question, given the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 1961 case. States aren’t allowed to have a “religious test” in order to be considered eligible to hold public office…and yet seven Southern states still have one in their constitution.

I was a notary public for several years, though according to the Texas Constitution, my lack of belief in an Imaginary Friend rendered me unfit to serve the people of Texas. No one complained, or even asked, about my (lack of) religious faith…or the services I provided them. Could it be that I was (and am) good without God?

Despite what the good, God-fearing patriots and politicians of these states may believe to be true, America is NOT a Christian nation. As I said perhaps a gazillion times, American governance is secular even as 80% of the population self-identifies as Christian. The separation of Church and State is a real thing, and when you allow discrimination on the basis of whether one accepts the exist of a Supreme Being, you’re well down the path to tyranny. Discriminating against those who don’t believe in God (I hate the “atheist” label because I hate being put in that box) is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination in American today. (Many Conservative Christians claim the burden of persecution, but the idea that an 80% majority can credibly wear that hat is laughable.) If these seven states’ Constitutions allowed for discrimination against Jews, African-Americans, Native Americans, or any other class, the hue and cry would be loud, long, and justified. For some reason, though, discriminating against atheists is still acceptable.

As Texas Governor/High Priest Rick Perry once opined, “Freedom of religion doesn’t mean freedom FROM religion.” In other words, you can worship whatever flavor of Imaginary Friend you choose…but you have to choose one.

It would be unthinkable for such “naked bigotry” against white people or Presbyterians or Catholics to go unnoticed if state constitutions still contained it, said Rob Boston, director of communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an advocacy group. “Right now we hear a lot of talk from conservative Christians about their being persecuted and their being forced to accommodate same-sex marriage. But there’s nothing in the state constitutions that targets Christians like these provisions do about nonbelievers,” Mr. Boston said.

The ban against atheists holding public office has only been invoked a couple of times since 1992, with the result that those trying to invoke the ban against atheists were forced to back down. Still, the fact that this official discrimination is still ensconced in the Constitutions of seven states is as unconscionable as it is unconstitutional.

Even worse is the generally poor public perception of those of us who are “good without God.”

Organizers with Openly Secular see the bans as evidence of the quiet bigotry and discrimination faced by many atheists, agnostics, humanists and freethinkers. They point to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center this year showing that nearly half of Americans would disapprove if a family member married an atheist.

Pew also found that 53 percent of Americans polled in April said they would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate they knew was an atheist. Being an atheist was found to be the least desirable trait a candidate could have — worse than having cheated on a spouse or used marijuana.

Man, I had no idea I was such a horrible reprobate….

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on December 12, 2014 6:45 AM.

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