Religious Tests

Aug 9, 2022 | Podcast

City on a Hill
Religious Tests
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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

In this episode, we consider why the U.S. doesn’t allow religious tests for office. This is a direct application of last week’s episode about more Christians in politics.

NOTES:

THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE DEBATE OVER RELIGION IN REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA: A History in Documents Edited by Matthew L. Harris AND Thomas S. Kidd

U.S. Constitution: Article VI — The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

First Amendment: 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Center for the Study of the American Constitution

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretation/article-vi/clauses/32#:~:text=Watkins%20(1961)%2C%20the%20Supreme,%2C’%E2%80%9D%20the%20Court%20declared.

“The Dogma lives loudly within you.”

RECAP & TAKEAWAYS:

Can you think of any reasons a religious test might be a good idea?

  • It would be one way to ensure we had Christian leaders.
  • It would be one way to ensure we’d stay a Christian nation.
    • Who defines a Christian? Protestant (and any number of denominations) Catholics?

Can you think of any reasons why a religious test might be a bad idea?

  • What test would you apply? Would it favor a denomination? Just protestants? Monotheists?
  • Would a test really keep a non-believer out? 
  • Like we mentioned a few episodes ago, is someone who would pass a test necessarily the best person for the job?

GET IN TOUCH:

We’d love to hear from you. Please send us an email or question at [email protected].

MUSIC:

Little Lily Swing, Tri-Tachyon, Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Tri-Tachyon/the-kleptotonic-ep/little-lily-swing
Sorry, Comfort Fit, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Germany (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 DE), https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Comfort_Fit/Forget_And_Remember/03_Sorry