The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.Repeat that last part just to make it clear to you who don't get that the US is a SECULAR Society (like it or not):
no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.That means it doesn't matter what religion Barack Obama (or Mitt Romney or anybody else for that matter) happens to be.
You might have missed that bit since that paragraph comes right after:
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, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.And if you don't think the founders would support this: guess again:
"Both House and Ground were vested in Trustees, expressly for the Use of any Preacher of any religious Persuasion who might desire to say something to the People of Philadelphia, the Design [purpose] in building not being to accommodate any particular Sect, but the Inhabitants in general, so that even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a Missionary to preach Mahometanism [Islam] to us, he would find a Pulpit at his Service. "As I said, you have a problem because the Constitution isn't on your side if you are trying to make someone's religion an issue in US politics. In fact, religion would not intrude in US politics given the US's being a secular state--I only wish more people would be disgusted by this trend.
But, maybe some of you aren't the strong supporters of the Constitution that you claim to be.
Or, maybe you just need to brush up on what exactly it is that you are supposed to be defending.
The US is a secular nation: understand that fact.
Of course Secular does not equal Atheistic.
ReplyDeleteTwo separate things.
No, but does imply pretty clearly that unlike a theocracy, atheist is an accepted option under secular.
ReplyDeleteMorrison, I'm not sure what your point is.
ReplyDeleteSecular and Atheism are two different things as you point out. But, Dog Gone gives a much better contrasting belief--theocracy. Or there is also an alternative: a state religion.
Although, a nation can have a state religion and not be a theocracy. The degree and nature of state backing for denomination or creed designated as a state religion can vary. It can range from mere endorsement and financial support, with freedom for other faiths to practice, to prohibiting any competing religious body from operating and to persecuting the followers of other sects.
Secularity (adjective form secular, from Latin saecularis meaning "worldly" or "temporal") is the state of being separate from religion, or not being exclusively allied or against any particular religion. Secularism is the principle that government institutions and their representatives should remain separate from religious institutions, their beliefs, and their dignitaries.
Although some atheists have adopted secular philosophies, there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.
Anyway, as Dog Gone points out, atheism is an accepted option in a Secular society where it may not be in either a theocracy or one with a state religion.
The founders wanted a Secular Society because they knew of the problems associated with having state religions given that many came to the New World to flee religious persecution.
It's about keeping religion out of government and government out of religion.
ReplyDeleteAnd given what a mess government makes of things--I would think that people would want it out of religious affairs.
"Morrison, I'm not sure what your point is."
ReplyDeleteDropping a turd in the punchbowl?
Drive-by trollery is soooooooooooooooo predictable.