Atheism in Politics

Atheism and politics are not the most fitting pair. In fact, religion or the lack of a religion has been used repeatedly to discredit political opponents. In a bid for Austin City Council, Laura Pressley distributed a mailer claiming her opponent, Gregorio Casar was an atheist and thus legally barred from Texas public office. Pressley referenced Article 1, Section 4 of the Texas Constitution that states: “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall anyone be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the                 existence of a Supreme Being.” 

Upon further review, there are seven states that still have articles in their constitution saying people who do not believe in God are not eligible to hold public office. This inclusion is a direct violation of Article VI of the United States Constitution that says "no religious test" should ever be required for federal office. Furthermore, in the Supreme Court decision on Torcaso vs. Watkins, states are clearly prohibited from making belief in God a requirement for office. Openly Secular, a coalition of thirty groups, is at the forefront of the movement to rid these state constitutions of openly discriminatory language.

To learn more about the Austin City Council case, here is an article. For more information on Openly Secular's political push, here is a New York Times article.