Honest, Some of His BEST FRIENDS Are Atheists...

“I'm not saying that Cecil Bothwell is not a good man, but if he's an atheist, he's not eligible to serve in public office, according to the state constitution,” H.K. Edgerton, quoted in the Asheville Citizen-Times, 12/8/09.

Almost a year ago, I wrote a piece about the shock in some quarters over President Obama actually acknowledging atheists as Americans in his inauguration speech. I included in it a list of laws aimed at atheists – some of them still on the books, some not .

Today I’ve learned of the case of Cecil Bothwell, who was recently elected to the city council in Asheville North Carolina. Opponents are now citing a passage in the North Carolina State Constitution: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of almighty God....” as a bar to Bothwell holding office.

This is not the only case where a blatantly unconstitutional religious test for office has remained on the books. In Arkansas, for instance, an atheist would not only be barred from holding public office, but would be barred from testifying in a court of law. In Maryland, according to article 36 of the state constitution, atheists could be barred from serving, not only as witnesses in court, but as jurors.

Atheism has lately become an increasingly visible bugaboo among the Tea Party set, perhaps because atheists are becoming more outspoken about being atheists. An interesting fight may be boiling up as more and more right wingers discover these archaic laws.