The Ban Still Included In Eight State Constitutions

Billy Hallowell theblaze.com Eight U.S. state constitutions still explicitly bar atheists from holding public office. While their inclusion in the documents may be surprising, these bans on non-theists have not been actively enforced for decades. Each, to varying degrees, have constitutional texts that proclaim that nonbelievers are simply not welcome in the political sphere.The states in question are: Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. Consider the Arkansas constitution, which was adopted in 1874 and reads, in part, “No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.” And the Mississippi constitution, adopted in 1890, has similar language: “No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this State.” to read more: theblaze.com