Atheism in America

[enders_shadow]

So, I know, I know, atheism is just something that middle or upper-middle class white folks have the luxury of thinking about and it's really just a #firstworldproblem that we atheists should be all too happy to have, right

Comments

[enders_shadow]

Yes, inertia. Nobody ever thought it was worthwhile to remove language from the state constitution which explicitly states the denial of the right to work in the govt to those who differ in belief.

Not an important matter.

[enders_shadow]

Well, it's not just that, but according to the source, the US supreme court had to "re-affirm" that in 1961.

So....it might be the case that some places didn't get the memo? Local townships are not known for their great track record in following the principles that the US supreme court decides upon. Now and again they do unconstitutional things, using whatever they can point to.

Oh, *you're* the one I was confusing with Dwer a lil bit ago. You're in NYC--and you've done some door-knocking for candidates right?

Can you imagine a township telling you that you must pay $25 and register with the township and get a permit and carry it with you and only door-knock between 2pm and 5pm?
Some townships try to do that.

The infamous Jehovah's Witness case produced a SCOTUS ruling that would make such township laws illegal.
They still have them and still attempt to enforce them.

There's something very important about removing unsupportable laws from the books.

[rimpala]

As a pagan with agnostic tendencies I stubbornly believe everyone should be left to their own faiths or woldviews, because it's something very personal to each individual and I am in no position to tell anyone otherwise. This includes both Christians and Atheists. And with all the flak the latter receives from the former, I just don't understand because every atheist I have ever met hasn't been anything but a pleasant, decent human being.

In fact I really wish we had an openly Atheist president who can run this country without the question of faith getting in the way so much. I want one to prove once and for all that personal beliefs are irrelevant for running the American government.

[rimpala]

And you know what? Here's something to consider.

Who are we as humans compared to everything else out there? Does the universe really give a second thought about our very existence, let alone care about what we believe in?

[rimpala]

Looking at how we play The Sims or Starcraft, it really doesn't seem like that much of a stretch.

The objective is to destroy the base, it doesn't matter how many Zerg die in the process right?

[ford_prefect42]

You're aware that the reading of the 14th that you're advocating here is quite recent, yes? I believe that the first serious application of it was loving v. virginia in 1967

The recent 2nd amendment decision in chicago being a prime example. Quite frequently, laws are tested on the grounds of those readings, and get struck. So it's still quite possible that an elected official "coming out" as an athiest would have his/her position stripped pending the challenge.

It's also worth noting that the 14th has not been tested against state *constitutions*, which hold greater force than law. We'll probably see that challenge soon over the recent north carolina same sex marriage amendment.

[ford_prefect42]

Right, but actually, that would argue that it *is* worthwhile to strip the laws, because what the scotus does, the scotus can undo. Particularly in the case of a reading that is still developing practically weekly. The chicago 2nd amendment case was last year!

What I am finding more interesting is the concept that there needs to be an agency specifically responsible for determining which laws are unreasonably antiquated, have been superceded, or are just dumb, but still on the books.

It has long been my position that all laws should sunset every alternate year, and that no law may be voted on unless it has been read in it's entirety on the floor of the voting body, furthermore, that no person may vote on said laws unless they were present for 90+% of the reading.

[politikitty]

But the laws don't exist. They can't be enforced. There is no employment discrimination.

Unless you count voters opinion on atheism employment discrimination. But I'm not sure how you handicap against that....

[the_rukh]

Socially, do you think leaving them on the books sets a cultural enforcement that its actually ok to discriminate against atheists even if you can't leagally?

[the_rukh]

That extra a was put there by atheists.

[politikitty]

No. People only know that the Texas Constitution mandates that you have to believe in God to run for office because they're a bit of a political geek.

Deciding to strike it down would basically give the Religious Right a gigantic microphone for 2-3 years until the issue petered out.

In God We Trust and the Pledge of Allegiance do more to convince people it's okay to discriminate against atheists than small laws that most people are unaware exist.

[malakh_abaddon]

I know of three people who have been discriminated against because they are non-christian. I reside in By Gawd West F-ckin Virginia. One was fired solely because he was an atheist, another because he was Wiccan, and I was because I was Jewish and wanted Saturdays off. While this is not a government job, most people where I live refuse to vote for anyone who is not christian.

[ford_prefect42]

BINGO! And that's not really a *problem* with democracy, particularly in the "united states" type format. Recall that the entire concept of a union of states is that the different states get to do things *differently*, and the federal government is just supposed to oversee the interactions between the states.