A fascinating scrap of news.

[Drake Dun]

Relating, as usual, to my unhealthy obsession with all things religious and atheist.

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assemb...sureno=HJR1009

One of the states that still has provisions in its consitution banning atheists from public office and/or the witness stand (in the case of Arkansas, both) has got a bill floating around which will repeal those provisions, if passed.

The Supreme Court took the teeth out of discriminatory bullshit like this way back in '61, but the provisions have stayed on the books. Apparently some elected official has finally found the balls to actually stand up and say that atheists should be considered humans and citizens (fuck you very much Bush Sr.), and not pitchfork wielding devils in disguise.

Now, since the law to be repealed has no legal effect, in a sense this is very uninteresting news. But in a strange way it is fascinating news for exactly that reason. I am squirming with anticipation to see what kind of reaction we see from the other side on this one, especially considering that it's out of a yahoo state like Arkansas where (if my admittedly stereotypical image is correct) they're still not too sure about Catholics. Will they fight this tooth and claw, simply over the principle of the thing?

In a strange and slightly sick sense I feel like either way it goes, I'm going to get satisfaction out of it. Either Arkansas quietly passes the bill, in which case I can set aside some of my reservations about humans in general and Christians in particular... or they shoot it down, in which case I get to hang on to a certain cheap and ugly but nevertheless gratifying righteous indignation.

I'm keeping tabs on this one for sure.

[CptSternn]

That is pretty amazing right there.

[Opteron_Man]

Interesting.

[Drake Dun]

Originally Posted by Drake Dun

Dear Mr. Carroll,

I've been keeping an eye on the status of HJR1009 (amending the state constitution's provisions regarding atheists) for some time now, and I can't help noticing that nothing has happened for a while and there are no scheduled events. I also notice the notation "rules suspended". Should I take all this to mean that someone has found a way to dead-end the bill without actually putting it to a vote?

Thanks.

Sincerely,
Richard Heaton

Originally Posted by Richard L. Carroll

Yes you are correct. HJR 1009 did not make it out of committee.

Rep. Richard L. Carroll

Here is the language that would have been removed from the Arkansas Constitution by HJR 1009:

Originally Posted by Christian bigots

No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.

I really shouldn't have to do the following exercise, but I know a lot of people simply won't appreciate the implications if I don't. Imagine that the Arkansas Constitution contained the following language...

No person who affirms the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.

...or

No person who is of African descent shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.

...and someone had proposed removing it. And that proposal had been cowardly torpedoed in committee to avoid having it come to an embarassing vote. That's essentially the government under which the residents of Arkansas are living.

[HumanePain]

Originally Posted by Drake Dun

... in which case I can set aside some of my reservations about humans in general and Christians in particular...

Don't ever set aside your reservations. Never underestimate stupidity. It has lasted into the 21st century, it will last into the 22nd. Assuming an asteroid hasn't blown us into solar orbiting debris during Extinction III.