Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer: Every elected official in America is required "to worship God"
Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer: Every elected official in America is required "to worship God"
You have two choices, said the Christian Nationalist: "Obedience or rebellion."
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Obviously knows neither the spirit nor the letter of established law...Texas huh? Yeah, that tracks.
We have a law in Texas that an Atheist can't hold office. Really stupid, but it would have to be challenged to get rid of it.
edit: went and looked it up
Article 1, Section 4 of the Texas Constitution 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."
I'll gladly acknowledge the existence of a supreme being; my tuxedo cat is very supreme.
...we don't have to say which being is supreme, right?
I like your moxie. You've got my vote.
By that verbage, claiming to be pastafarian meets those requirments.
Would pay good money to see a official painting of someone with a collander on their head.
Technically a Satanist does too.
edit: though you'd have to "really believe"
We have a law in Texas that an Atheist can't hold office. Really stupid, but it would have to be challenged to get rid of it.
Just to be clear that's unconstitutional. That law has no force or effect.
Torcaso v. Watkins, 367 U.S. 488 (1961)
Yes, it's unconstitutional....buuut, the shitty way our political system works, somebody would have to sue to get it removed in Texas. Until someone does, they're going to enforce it.
edit: in Texas
The text is never going to be removed for sure because that takes action. But also no one is enforcing it either. I'd love to hear about anyone it's been enforced against, if they exist.
If you think they're not going to fight tooth and nail to enforce it in Texas, you don't know Texas. It would probably have to go to SCOTUS.
I just asked who has been barred from the ballot as a result. I'm aware of Republican candidates raising the issue in TX, only to be informed that it's unconstitutional. To my knowledge, no one has ever been barred since that case. If you have different information please let me know.
If someone were barred, they would sue in federal district court and immediately receive an injunction. Federal courts cannot ignore precedent from SCOTUS.
Texas huh? Yeah, that tracks.
Actually we're our own country and we get to do what we want.