Has an atheist ever been barred from running for office?

[Zhade]

In the "I'm an atheist, why can't I be prez" thread, it was pointed out that in some states atheists are banned from running for office because they do not "accept" a god/higher power/afterlife/etc.

An argument ensued regarding actualized harm from this type of codified law. This thread is not intended to continue that, or any, argument. My question is, have you ever heard of an atheist either not being allowed to run on a ballot, or not take office once elected? Links are very much appreciated.

Also, for strictly anecdotal curiosity, have you ever known or heard of any atheist facing such a situation?

I'm interested in real cases that will help prove that these laws have harmed those of us who happen to lack a belief in gods. If no such cases exist, great! If they do, we will know that these laws are not harmless, but in fact actively harm citizens of this country.

Please do not turn this into a flame war. This is about research and facts, not personal attacks and bashing of any kind.

[JAbuchan08]

1. could you post a link to the thread to which you are referring

I'd be interested to see what line the discussion took.

[minnesotaDFLer]

2. wasn't thomas jefferson an atheist?

[Zhade]

3. Either way, he wasn't barred from office, so it's moot.

NT!

[longship]

8. Jefferson was a deist..

as were many, if not most of the founding fathers.

Deism doesn't support the existence of a personal savior, so according to many of the current creatures who call themselves Christians, Jefferson may indeed be considered an atheist.

[minnesotaDFLer]

9. i knew he was a deist,

but what is it exactly? what makes it different from atheism?

[deadparrot]

10. From what I understand,

a deist is one who believes in a higher power, but also believes that said higher power doesn't interevene in the life of those on earth. It's called something like the watchmaker theory...that he created the world, then sat back and let things happen.

I think. :shrug:

[minnesotaDFLer]

11. that makes sense

that especcially applies to the world today

[China_cat]

4. Not so much running for office

but it took Herb Silverman 7 years of lawsuits to become a Notary here in SC because he refused to use the 'swear to god' portion of the application. The state tried to say it was because he didn't fill out the forms properly but wasn't it strange that his was the only one refused out of over 30,000 applicants that year.

Google has turned up too many articles for me to choose just one to send you to.


Edited to add after looking at some of the articles...he was prohibited from running for SC governor before the notary flap.

[Zhade]

6. Do you have a link for the governor situation?

That would be hard evidence that these laws are, in fact, harmful as well as discriminatory!

[China_cat]

7. Scroll down about 1/3 of the way

http://www.godless.org/hasd/hnl000910.html

But I was wrong about him not being allowed to run. He ran and lost, but because he lost he wasn't allowed to challenge the religious test SC had in place at the time in contravention to the Constitution. He would have had to have won in order to challenge it. And if he had won, then there would have been no reason to challenge.

SC is about as weird as it gets.

[DBoon]

5. try this link

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/flynn_20_1.htm

Quoting:

"Fortunately, clauses establishing second-class citizenship for nonbelievers are seldom enforced. In the eyes of the legal profession, they are unenforceable because they blatantly violate the separation of church and state. Yet that didn't keep South Carolina from struggling for years to deny atheist Herb Silverman a commission as a notary public. "

More on Herb:

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/layout.asp?id=41381&action=detail&catID=1260&parentID=1252