T2A: Did you know NC's constitution bars atheists from holding office?

[The Night Owl]

From Talk To Action...

Did you know NC's constitution bars atheists from holding office?
By Christian Dem in NC

When I found out that an Arkansas state rep is trying to repeal a provision in his state constitution that bars atheists from holding office, I remembered that, sadly, North Carolina's constitution has a similar provision.

Article 6, Section 8 says that anyone who "shall deny the being of Almighty God" can't hold office in the state. And here's another kicker--this provision was carried over verbatim from the 1868 Constitution even though SCOTUS threw out a similar provision in Maryland just 10 years before the current constitution was adopted.

To be sure, this provision has never been enforced since the adoption of our current constitution, since it would almost certainly be thrown out as a violation of the 1st and 14th Amendments (and possibly Article 6 as well). Still, to my mind the fact it's still there makes the state look backwoods.

...

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/2/24/172051/765

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. I knew that one of the southern states did. Forgot it was NC.

I can't wait for some fundie to try to enforce that.

[enlightenment]

2. Yes.

A 1961 SCOTUS decision overrules all the constitutional restrictions of the states (five states, I believe).

Good for the AR congress-critter, though. Leaving those clauses in the documents is unnecessarily provoking - kind of like leaving in miscegenation laws (Alabama was the last to remove their clause - in 2000!)