Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Atheist Equality In Arkansas?
Wow. Arkansas State Representative Richard Carroll of the Green Party introduced bill HJR1009 in the Arkansas 87th
General Assembly on 2-11-09 which seeks to amend the Arkansas state constitution to remove the language which prohibits an atheist from holding office there, or from testifying as a witness in any court case there. The resolution reads:
[link] AMENDING THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO REPEAL THE PROHIBITION AGAINST AN ATHEIST HOLDING ANY OFFICE IN THE CIVIL DEPARTMENTS OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS OR TESTIFYING AS A WITNESS IN ANY COURT.
The bill would add the following amendment to the Arkansas constitution, strikes and all:
SECTION 1. Article 19, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution is repealed.
ยง 1. Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness.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.
The original prohibition is federally unconstitutional due to the U.S. Supreme Court's 1961 decision in the famous Torcaso V. Watkins case, and cannot be enforced, but I applaud Rep. Carroll for introducing this bill. It is an important symbolic step in recognizing atheists as full citizens of the state of Arkansas.
Now we'll have to wait and see if the Arkansas legislature votes to pass this resolution.
However, given the Arkansas legislature's track record on church-state separation issues, I am not holding my breath.
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Excellent gesture!
I hope it passes. I doubt the athiest prohibition in AR is ever invoked to dismiss a witness or juror, or any state employee. There are similar but weaker laws in Texas, Maryland, and many other states, including even Massachusetts. I doubt any lawyer or DA would challenge a witness under this law.
I know that in my home county in TX, there's no swearing on a Bible, they always saw "swear or affirm" and there's no "So help me God". I have been a witness in a couple of criminal cases as I used to be a loss prevention agent. That has not kept me from being on a couple of juries, including a celebrity trial involving assault and theft charges. We all agreed to throw out the assault charge, and the more serious theft charge. I made the rest of the jurors work really hard to convince me to convict on the lesser theft charge.
Religious stuff just doesn't come up in our courts, but then again there are a hugely diverse 4 million of us. Maybe things are different two counties out.
I think it ironic
I think it ironic to know this bill was introduced by a Catholic. I know this because it's listed at his official web site. I'm glad the man has introduced the bill but one would think removing religious preferences from the official state web site would be a good place to start.
Did you also notice
...how he considered the law about bringing guns into church a "related item"? I know. I'm too sensitive. I assume immediately we're being made fun of.
And as for AR's record on church-state separation, you're right: As that article mentions, they explicitly rejected the very concept! They voted as a body to spit on the wall. That, I say, bodes very, very ill.