God Is Dead In North Carolina
Your God is dead, North Carolina.
Not really … but evangelicals in the Tar Heel State are up in arms after an Asheville, N.C. City Councilman was sworn in despite the fact that he doesn’t believe in God.
Why the fuss? Well, forsaking the Alpha and Omega is illegal in North Carolina … if you want to hold public office, anyway.
Technically, Cecil Bothwell isn’t an atheist, he’s a “post-theist.’” That means he believes that God is (was) a concept that humanity has outgrown.
Sort of like American has outgrown capitalism, right?
Anyway, from Article 6, Section 8 of the North Carolina Constitution …
The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.
And yes, lawsuits are on the way.
In case you were wondering, six other states have prohibitions against “non-believers” serving as elected officials – Arkansas, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and … wait for it … South Carolina.
Personally, we think constitutional prohibitions of this sort are ridiculous, to say nothing of unconstitutional and anti-Democratic.
Of course, it does take a special kind of jerk to think that humanity has “outgrown” God, just as it takes a special kind of leftist to believe that American has outgrown freedom and free markets.
History is replete with examples of higher powers correcting societies that get too big for their britches.
Comments
By Goldwater on December 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
John Locke said it best – when we take something as sacred as faith, and ruin it with the faliable hand of human governace, the people lose respect for both God and the State.
By Good on December 18th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I hope lawsuits come. I hope that North Carolina (and SC) take it on the chin. What a stupid law.
By Heidi on December 18th, 2009 at 11:13 am
“History is replete with examples of higher powers correcting societies that get too big for their britches.”
Exactly. We will be there directly compliments of our Narcissist-in-Chief.
By Ynot on December 18th, 2009 at 11:50 am
God is not dead. Thank goodness. I for one am happy our state requires belief.
By Liberty For Me on December 18th, 2009 at 11:51 am
He should be removed from office immediately .The election was not legal…This man should have not been allowed to run and the office that approved his application should be reprimanded.
We are in a shit mess in this country and it is because the laws of our country and states have been ignored or cherry picked to use whenever handy.Every law should be followed,amended or removed from the books….Why in this country would I need to make this statement??It is unbelievable
By Ray Ingles on December 18th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Of course the provision is unconstitutional. This was settled almost fifty years ago, in the 1961 Supreme Court case Torcaso v. Watkins. “The Court unanimously found that Maryland’s requirement for a person holding public office to state a belief in God violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.”
Lawsuits may be “on the way”, but they’re already lost. They may serve a public-relations purpose, but the U.S. Constitution is pretty clear – “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” (Article VI, section 3. And the Fourteenth Amendment extends this to the states. North Carolina ratified that amendment July 4, 1868, and thus obviated that provision in the state constitution.
I’ve never understood people who interpret the Bible literally, and the Constitution loosely.
By Katherine Jenerette on December 18th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
As a Constitutional Originalist I fall on the side of the U.S. Constitution as it is written, but put some stock in the following advice from one of the original originalist even though he was in London and didn’t attend the convention:
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion
Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.
Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.”
John Adams (1735-1826)
That’s all for now – Katherine
P.S. Allow me one more quote from John Adams since it has to do with the U.S. Congress: “In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.” – John Adams
By 1 + 1 = 3 on December 18th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Does it make him less of a hypocrite than Sanford who believes in God and then disobeys Him every chance he gets?
By Nathan Earle on December 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
The North Carolina constitution is not “unconstitutional” — whatever that expression means after 6 decades of federal judicial reinterpretation.
It might upset you that atheists are legally prohibited from holding office in North Carolina, but there’s nothing illegal about that law.
Why don’t you ever get upset when the federal judiciary rewrites the Constitution to include atheists and other non-Christian belief systems?
By Quiet Voice of Reason on December 18th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
At least he is up front about his belief, whatever it happens to be. Far, far better than those in many states (not just ours) who claim all kinds of Christianity and holier-than-thou beliefs only to break at least the first 10 Commandments.
If the people elected him, then he deserves to serve. I’d prefer to celebrate someone who has questions and is up front about them than someone who claims he or she has all the answers and the rest of us need to follow the “right” way.
By cgi-bin laden on December 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
“Tar Heels” is two words.
By Catherine on December 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Sic,
why does that guy have to be a jerk? you don’t know if there’s a god just like he doesn’t know if there’s not one (or two or seventeen). so maybe you’re the jerk. actually its probably more accurate that you are both equally jerky. when will people realize that beliefs are just thoughts you think over and over. it doesn’t make them true. it doesn’t make you right and it doesn’t make him right. you are both just slaves to your habitually repeated thought patterns. tell me again, what animal says Bahhhhh?
By Knocktwice on December 18th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Nathan,
You are actually completely wrong. As was quoted by Ray Ingles above, Torcaso v. Watkins settled the point of law that Article VI section 3 says what it says and extends to the states. So in fact, article 6 section 8 is unconstitutional under the US Constitution and its articles and amendments.
You ought to read William Lee Miller. He has a very excellent book on point called “The First Liberty: Religion and the American Republic”.
It is a well respected piece of work. Of course it might be on the book burning list for some readers of this blog.
By Jeff on December 18th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
“Amen” to Ray Ingles’ scholarly comments above. The decision is in— and NC (and SC ) lost. We lost that Cause more than a 100 years ago. The US Constitution is the supreme law of the law– which includes “no religious test” for office holders.
Behold the Constitution:
“All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
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, ANY THING IN THE CONSTITUTION OR LAWS OF ANY STATE TO THE CONTRARY NOTWITHSTANDING.
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.”
US Const, Art VI.
Now can we all get back to the serious business of creating jobs and digging our of this Great Recession.
By PEEP on December 18th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Once upon a time, Catholics were banned in South Carolina, by law. These sort of laws are idiotic. Banning someone from serving in public office because of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) is and ought to be unconstitutional.
By justintempler on December 19th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Unenforcable law. I have to wonder if the North Carolina constitution defines who god is, I wonder if Baal qualifies? ;-)
By John Adams on December 19th, 2009 at 9:37 am
The Treaty of Tripoli, 1797 states in part, Article 11 that:
…the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.
By Another Opinion on December 19th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
He’s been dead a long time up here in Chesterfield County. That’s why we have cops cooking meth, a federal investigation into our former solicitor and Mercy Ministries, on and on. Thank God for the good people here, otherwise it would indeed be hell on earth.
By the Goob on December 19th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
“Kneel down ye sinners, to
Streetwise religion
Greed’s been crowned the new King…
…I carry my crucifix
Under my deathlist” –Motley Crue
80% of the United States’ “Republcan” Office-Holders are The Highway to Hell.
They don’t believe.
By imrational on December 26th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Why is the author of this article bringing in free markets and capitalism? What does that have to do with a City Council member being an atheist or him being withheld from holding office due to his lack of belief?
Just so you know, both Maryland’s and South Carolina’s laws have already been overturned.
I am glad that the author did recognize how such laws are unconstitutional.