There Shall Be No Religious Test For Public Office Unles . . .

Unless you harbour freethought, then in that case, you're out!

7 States That Ban Atheists From Holding Public Office

States with laws on the books barring atheists from holding public office: Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

Surprised or no? AlterNet

The first two comments at the time of reading.

GrandmaR

Atheists holding office

No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards
and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this
State.

TENNESSEE CONSTITUTION


dcordell

Wow. Not only do you have to agree there is a god, you've got to believe in "rewards and punishments" in some undefined "future." Of course, it doesn't meant you have to believe that the GOOD get rewarded or the EVIL are punished, presumably because that has so rarely happened in Tennessee...