H.K. Edgerton Makes the Funnies

Some of you are, no doubt, familiar with the story out of North Carolina involving H.K. Edgerton and Councilman Cecil Bothwell, who refused to cite God in his oath of office.  Apparently, the good state of North Carolina has a provision that outlaws atheists from public office.  Please correct me if I have the details wrong.  To be completely honest I don’t really care about the details.  What I find hilarious is that H.K. and others have decided to make this an issue.  Of course any provision along these lines violates the U.S. Constitution which explicitly rejects any religious test for public office.  That seems reasonable enough to me.  Anyway, I didn’t think much of it at the time until I came across this wonderful cartoon that appeared in one of the local newspapers in Asheville, North Carolina.

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12 comments… add one
  • msimons Jan 13, 2010 @ 20:51

    Would you be less shocked if I told You I have a Theology Masters from Southern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth TX.

    • Kevin Levin Jan 13, 2010 @ 21:01

      No, not at all. It still doesn't help me to understand why, in a democracy, you would want to limit office holding to only those people who claim to believe in God. I see no necessary connection whatsoever between religious affiliation and virtuous/affective government.

      • msimons Jan 15, 2010 @ 15:12

        John Adams sums it up for me quite well.
        Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” –October 11, 1798.

        My personal experiences with atheist's have confirmed Adams conclusion so I agree with H. K. this time.

        • Kevin Levin Jan 15, 2010 @ 15:15

          My response to comments of this sort is to always point out that the men who wrote and debated the Constitution had every opportunity to create a theocracy. They chose not to and it would do you well to read as to why they chose not to.

          With all due respect, I am not going to respond to your final thought because it isn't worth my time. I would point you to Pat Robertson's recent idiotic outburst re: Haiti.

          • msimons Jan 15, 2010 @ 16:00

            Please never lump me in with Pat Robertson he is a theological quack who should be locked in a room with Sebesta. I take being related or compaired to PR as a deep personal insult.
            I share my Theological world view as it intersects with CW History, But I would never try to force down someone's throat. Nor do I see every disaster as an Act of God's Judgement.

            • Kevin Levin Jan 15, 2010 @ 16:39

              I am no lumping you with PR, but I am suggesting that whether one believes in God or not tells us nothing about what a person believes or how they act.

  • msimons Jan 13, 2010 @ 15:59

    I agree he is looking for face time . While I personally agree with him the USC says no religious test. So this is a non issue.

    • Kevin Levin Jan 13, 2010 @ 16:51

      You mean you actually believe that only people who believe (or profess a belief) in God should be allowed to serve in public office? I think I will leave this one alone.

  • msimons Jan 13, 2010 @ 15:49

    Funny Cartoon IMO this is nothing more than a temptest in a teapot.

  • Johnny Joyner Jan 13, 2010 @ 14:58

    You are correct, the state constitution says that only those that deny the being of the Almight God, so I guess if Counilman Bothwell was agnostic, then that would be okay. Of course the NC Constitution also states that you have to be able to read and write any part of the Constitution in English to be able to vote, a throwback to the days of white supremacy and disinfranchisment

    • Kevin Levin Jan 13, 2010 @ 15:25

      I was just talking about suffrage restrictions during the Jim Crow era in class this morning.

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