"…no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
That is, except in Tennessee I guess:
Article IX: Disqualifications § 2. Atheists holding office No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this State.
Hmmm… Well, they don’t allow "Ministers of the Gospel" to hold state-level legislative seats either but that is to ensure that they are "not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions" (Article IX,§1).
Now here’s a lawsuit that should be waiting to happen.
Michael Sauers is the Technology Manager for Do Space in Omaha, NE. After earning his MLS in 1995 from the University at Albany's School of Information Science and Policy Michael spent his first 20 years as a librarian training other librarians in technology along with time as a public library trustee, a bookstore manager for a library friends group, a reference librarian, a technology consultant, and a bookseller. He has written dozens of articles for various journals and magazines and has published 14 books ranging from library technology, blogging, Web design, and an index to a popular horror magazine. In his spare time, he blogs at TravelinLibrarian.info, runs The Collector's Guide to Dean Koontz website at CollectingKoontz.com, takes many, many photos, and typically reads more than 100 books a year.
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One Reply to “Religious test for office”
I would imagine such was an action against folks like Alexander Campbell. Although a minister of the faith, he also caused some havoc at the 1830s Virginia Constitutional Convention. He was a big advocate of public education but for reasons we might find strange today.
With folks like that out and about, I can understand the historical need for such provisions. As for current need for such provisions, that is not a matter I can say much on.
I would imagine such was an action against folks like Alexander Campbell. Although a minister of the faith, he also caused some havoc at the 1830s Virginia Constitutional Convention. He was a big advocate of public education but for reasons we might find strange today.
With folks like that out and about, I can understand the historical need for such provisions. As for current need for such provisions, that is not a matter I can say much on.