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Does your state constitution discriminate against the godless?

It does if you live in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, or South Carolina.

Check this out.

I am outraged by this and would like to see a major coordinated effort by all secular humanist and atheist organizations to overturn these clauses from those state constitutions.

I'm not a legal expert but it seems to me that they violate the principle of equal protection. Can any lawyers out there comment on this?

Tags: constitution, discrimination, equal, law, protection

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Permalink Reply by Shlarg on April 29, 2009 at 8:45am

It's interesting to note that in Toraso v. Watkins "the Court did not base its holding on the no religious test clause of Article VI." I'd like to see these state laws challenged on this basis also. In looking at the whole of Article VI we find
"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding." In the Treaty of Tripoli it is clearly stated in Art. 11. "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion". "Article 11 of the first treaty has been interpreted as an official denial of a Christian basis for the U.S. government."

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Permalink Reply by Doug Anderson on June 15, 2009 at 3:43pm

Thanks for the link. I am shocked by these state constitutions. I live in Ohio and even though I know of nothing in our state constitution that would be offensive to the nonreligious our state motto is "with god, all things are possible." This is plastered on our court houses and government stationary. I would love to see some kind of movement go after these issues!

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Permalink Reply by Langston on August 4, 2009 at 11:45pm

Justice Hugo Black wrote ..."We repeat and again reaffirm that neither a State nor the Federal Government can constitutionally force a person "to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion." Neither can constitutionally **pass laws or impose requirements which aid all religions as against non-believers**, and neither can aid those religions based on a belief in the existence of God as against those religions founded on different beliefs."

So what's up with HEIN vs. FFRF then???? The Supreme F'in Court has "ruled the president may do what Congress cannot--use federal tax dollars to promote religion without chance of taxpayer challenge or court review." And "The White House may now use taxpayer money to promote religion without complaint by citizens and without scrutiny by the courts. Talk about an imperial presidency!"

THIS HAPPENED JUST THIS PAST JUNE!!!!

http://ffrf.org/news/2007/heinstatement.php

I read this story on the Freedom From Religion Foundation's page, and I thought I was going to be ill.

We should all raise hell about this one..........

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Permalink Reply by Father Nature on December 10, 2009 at 8:26am

Here's a recent story from North Carolina that will, hopefully, raise awareness of their unconstitutional (but still on the books) state law against atheists holding elected office.

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Permalink Reply by Fan of OHair on December 10, 2009 at 10:13am

keyword: road-kill, social, economical, irrationality. In regards to mythical expressions and or dough raising. Almost like folks are so jaded by media they only watch/hear/ think about some old, old, dirt old books which themselves contain violent acts and disgust; only to cherry pick what 'they' the god-bizmen want to reproduce so to charge their flock more with sweet tradition (in reality a ponzi scheme all the way up to the highest holy chair in the land)
: P

it's like the gospel rapture battle cry of a few folks gone awry! > :P
I feel bad for those that have been slowly brainwashed into pushing (aka expressing) their not so spotless religions (actually blood soaked w/sadistical hatred) on others.

Like my friend's mother said after her mom died (puffs joint) "if they only knew... how much this helps"

That's the point. All these battles over what's legal or allowed to be thought of or talked about in the world is in regards to who or what religion inc. is pushing for us to buy. Pills? Big Pharm? Big privy health insurance run by cheaters? Jewish and Catholic? c'mon; they're pushing as many into poverty and early death by no accident. Legalize reason!