Atheist Councilmen Feels the Religious Heat

Asheville, North Carolina City Councilman Cecil Bothwell has some great ideas, and believes in great things. However, one of the things he does not believe in is God. Being an atheist is a big problem to some people in North Carolina. His opponents say it is a sin to be an atheist and makes him unworthy of serving in office. The North Carolina Constitution even states that being an atheist disqualifies officeholders "who shall deny the being of Almighty God."

However, the state's requirement that officeholders must believe in God is unenforceable because it violates the U.S. Constitution because of the supremacy clause. The Supreme Court affirmed that federal law prohibits states from requiring any kind of religious test to serve in office. This shows the power the federal government has over the state government.

Any person who has the correct qualifications should be allowed to serve in office, whether they believe in God or not. Even though Bothwell is permitted to stay in office, he will spend much of his time defending himself in court against his conservative, religious opponents. If his ideas and motives are good, his belief or non-belief in any ultimate being should not be relevant. Religion and politics should be kept separate, and the U.S. Constitution helped it stay that way in this case.