[billbears]

Interesting that you should say that. I would refer you to the constitutions of Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Massachusetts just to name a few. All of those constitutions required said affirmation. Only until the 14th Amendment destroyed those states' rights(which the War of Southern Independence was fought over) did such 'tests' as you call them become outlawed. Jefferson himself in several letters to those of his home state and as noted in the Anti-Federalist papers recommended that states establish said church as was predominant in their population

[Deep_6]

re:
"...Interesting that you should say that. I would refer you to
the constitutions of Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia, and Massachusetts just to name a few. All of those
constitutions required said affirmation. Only until the
14th Amendment destroyed those states' rights(which the
War of Southern Independence was fought over) did such
'tests' as you call them become outlawed. Jefferson himself
in several letters to those of his home state and as noted in
the Anti-Federalist papers recommended that states establish
said church as was predominant in their population...."

You can rant and make all the claims you'd like, but the very
simple facts remain. Any state can pass any charters, legislation
or "constitutions" they'd like, and those states may require all
people in that state to comply. But when those "requirements"
are finally brought before the Supreme Court on a claim of
non-compliance, they must then be found to conform to our
Constitution's mandates, or they must be changed.

A state cannot outlaw freedom of speech. It cannot outlaw
the ownership of firearms. It cannot deny the freedom of the
practicing of a specific religion privately or in congregation.
It cannot deny legal due process. Etc etc etc etc. It can pass
legislation, change it's constitution or attempt to regulate those
very things; and it can force those in that state to comply, until
the matter of conflict between these laws and our Constitution's
mandates are resolved.

I would very strongly suggest you refrain from using Jefferson
as a model of religious promotion in our country. He has denounced
religious practice and the promotion of it many, many times throughout
his era.

"I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature" .
Thomas Jefferson

"It does me not injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty
gods or not god. Neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
Thomas Jefferson

 

Thanks.