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Yes, it is true. Those states do not disqualify atheists from holding public office. They have laws with that intent, but those laws have been ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Torcaso v. Watkins (1961).
In the same way, there are states with laws banning abortion, but those laws cannot be enforced because they have been ruled unconstitutional. The law books of this nation are chock full of obsolete laws that have been ruled invalid by the courts.
This is still untrue and you should read what their laws say. Those states do disqualify a professed atheist from holding public office. You can say they don't all you want, but it's written in black and white. You just want to ignore it.
This is still untrue and you should read what their laws say. Those states do disqualify a professed atheist from holding public office. You can say they don't all you want, but it's written in black and white. You just want to ignore it.
We are talking POLITICIANS here. You know, professional liars, thieves. What self respecting atheist POLITICIAN would actually PROFESS to being an atheist - go ahead - put your left hand on the bible and take your oath - what's going to happen - is god going to send you to hell?
We are talking POLITICIANS here. You know, professional liars, thieves. What self respecting atheist POLITICIAN would actually PROFESS to being an atheist - go ahead - put your left hand on the bible and take your oath - what's going to happen - is god going to send you to hell?
A lot of politicians probably are secretly atheists. Those politicians(whom are atheists) also keep their atheism a secret because those states prohibit atheists from holding public office. If those politicians were to profess their atheism then they would be disqualified from running for office. It seems that those states care more about someone's belief rather than how qualified an applicant actually is.
This is still untrue and you should read what their laws say. Those states do disqualify a professed atheist from holding public office. You can say they don't all you want, but it's written in black and white. You just want to ignore it.
In theory they do, but in practice I'm pretty sure the person is correct. The federal and Constitutional standard supersedes state laws. I believe there was a political race in one such state where the losing candidate threatened to use one of these laws against the winner, but it went nowhere because the laws are unenforceable.
Alabama's state constitution forbade "miscegenation" until 2000, but the ban was never enforced because Loving v Virginia had rendered it null. Although possibly anti-atheist statutes have not been as thoroughly overruled as, looking it up, I guess Arkansas's survived a challenge in 1982.
Still even if they are just symbolic I can understand wanting to get rid of them. If a state constitution had an unenforced statement that "The Red Indian must never be allowed on government property" I could see the urge to take that language out.
Seems an advantage to being an atheist would be that you don't have to worry about religion or practicing it, i.e. one less thing to worry about, make extra time for, or "pay" for. However in browsing this discussion, it appears that many "worry" about their beliefs and beliefs of others, and in a sense are "practicing" their belief (time, effort, money) - is this just a relative few atheists? many? Curious as to why?
Interesting question. I haven't read the other replies yet (I will, forgive me if I'm behind). It seems to me the contemplation of a god (or the subject of no god) has always been a part of the human condition. So even though atheist don't believe in the existence of god, the discussion of one or lack thereof, is still interesting. For me, I find religious topics - and the opinions of agnostic/atheist/the religious - very intriguing (and sometimes disturbing I admit). I invest time in it because I think I actually learn from the discussion and threads - even the ones that I don't participate in. It's like mental chewing gum.
Seems an advantage to being an atheist would be that you don't have to worry about religion or practicing it, i.e. one less thing to worry about, make extra time for, or "pay" for. However in browsing this discussion, it appears that many "worry" about their beliefs and beliefs of others, and in a sense are "practicing" their belief (time, effort, money) - is this just a relative few atheists? many? Curious as to why?
I "worried" about it while I was doing my thinking and soul-searching en route to becoming an atheist, in that I spent a lot of time coming to my conclusion.
After I came to my conclusion (which was about 7 or 8 years in the making), I then decided that any further effort I'd expend on it would only be in self-defense. As others have said, it's when someone else tries to legislate my life in accordance with their religion that I push back.
That said, I do get a bang out of it when people assume I'm some sort of Christian when I donate to charity or do something kind. I love the look on their faces when I say, "Actually, I'm an atheist." Yep, atheists can do good things for the world. Shocking, isn't it?
After recently dealing with someone who keeps telling me to see THE TRUTH or I'm going to HELL - I have come to some realizations. I think the reason that I think about my beliefs so much is the same reason that many "believers" think about their beliefs so much - because we are constantly being challenged. It's important for me to know what I believe and to be comfortable in what I believe. Just because I'm not religious does not mean that I don't have strong feelings about the things that I believe in. And the more people try to force their beliefs down my throat - the more I think about my own beliefs - and the more I realize why I believe what I believe. The more I know how I feel about things, the more peaceful and at ease I am with my own heart.
After recently dealing with someone who keeps telling me to see THE TRUTH or I'm going to HELL - I have come to some realizations. I think the reason that I think about my beliefs so much is the same reason that many "believers" think about their beliefs so much - because we are constantly being challenged. It's important for me to know what I believe and to be comfortable in what I believe. Just because I'm not religious does not mean that I don't have strong feelings about the things that I believe in. And the more people try to force their beliefs down my throat - the more I think about my own beliefs - and the more I realize why I believe what I believe. The more I know how I feel about things, the more peaceful and at ease I am with my own heart.
You have to love evangelicals who strengthen atheism.
By their own standards, they're doing Satan's work.
You have to love evangelicals who strengthen atheism.
By their own standards, they're doing Satan's work.
I have just about had it myself - I used to be pretty much be a "heathen" i.e. never thought twice about god or no god. Then the church thing, saved, church membership (So. Baptist - no less), but to be honest, I am pretty much a scientific-minded person, and also observant of human behavior, and I am on my way out....................
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