The Texas constitution states:
"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."
Meanwhile in Mississippi the constitution says:
"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."
Where is the first amendment when we really need it? No matter where you stand on the political spectrum there have been Presidents on the other side that you probably felt were despicable and even un-American and not one of them has been an open Atheist. I say it's long past time to remove these religious requirements and elect some Atheists to see what they can do. It certainly can't get any worse.
http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/uakmz/7_states_which_ban_atheists_from_holding_public/
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I'm gonna go ahead and bet those states don't enforce that law. Nobody actually bounce-checks pickles in Connecticut.
+Brandon Christ They may not actively enforce these rules, but as long as they are on the books, there is the possibility that someone will. For that reason these constitutional articles should be repealed.
They couldn't be enforced, though, they're against the federal constitution. Certainly not for a period of time longer than, oh five minutes.
Someone will have to run in each of those states as openly non religious and take it to the Supreme's when they're denied.