(October 9, 2012 at 11:10 am)Napoléon Wrote: Yeah, I don't expect these laws will actually prevent atheists from holding public offices. It's more just the principle.
Then again, the UK has equally stupid laws... such as it's illegal to die in parliament, or everyone has to practice archery at a vicar's request.
Neither do I expect or find it reasonable to ban religious people from running for office. I am in debates with atheists who think that should be the case, but that is as utopian as North Korea and the theocracy of Iran. You cant in a plurlistic society put a litmus test on holding office EITHER WAY.m It simply is not pragmatic or realistic.
Jefferson's "wall" is not a ban on religion, but a ban on litmus tests that exclude or include on the basis of religion.
I think some atheists miss the point of "No religious test". It is not a ban on religion it is merely saying an oath to a god IS NOT manditory and cannot be required to hold public office. It can only be strictly voluntary.
"Jeffersons wall" is a ban on pecking orders in the form of a ban on monopolies of power.
"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" Barbary treaty artocle 11.
Again, not a ban on religion, just saying that freedom of religion is not a a right to a monopoly of power.
I don't think we have to ban Christians from running for office and I think it is stupid and a bit childish to expect that. But the words are their to combat the Christian idea that they have a sense of inttitlement in the form of a pecking order.
I think the more you educate people with the facts of the Constutition that anyone born here no matter their race or religion, while they'd still have to compete for votes, no one can stop them from applying to attempt to make the run for an office. If that person is law abiding and convinces enough people to vote for them, they cannot be prevented from taking that office.
The morons who cry "Christian nation" are confusing a history of being a majority with law itself. No, in this country anyone legally meeting the office requirements who is not a criminal, has as much right to compete even all the way up to president.
We have a few Jews and now two Muslims and even an atheist in our congress BECAUSE of "no religious test". It buggs the fuck out of the right wing nutters that they cant stop non Christians from making the attempt to compete for an office.
Reminding people of their civil rights, not banning the religious from running, but reminding them that they do have choices and our ellected officials don't have to be Christians, that is how we win.
Because the more we do the more those people default to neutrality which is where the founders wanted government to be.
