Does this title represent a sinister new proposal by the godless left to keep Christian ministers from political office?
Hardly. Rather, this is a section from the 1817 Constitution of the State of Mississippi. Apparently, the framers of that Constitution believed that the care of souls could be distracted by the care of the government. After posting Jake MacAulay’s article on the issue of belief in God as a requirement to hold office, I checked out the original Mississippi Constitution. Section 6 contains the words quoted by MacAulay. However, the very next section forbids Christian ministers from seeking public office.
Section 6. No person who denies the being of God, or of a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this State.
Section 7. Ministers of the Gospel being by their profession, dedicated to God, and the care of souls, ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions. Therefore, no minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to the office of Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or to a seat in either branch of the General Assembly.
Jake MacAulay lauded Mississippi for including belief in God as a requirement for public service. Will he also laud Section 7 which disallowed ministers from public office? Which of these planks is the so-called “American view” of law and government?
The framers of the federal Constitution were wise to specifically prohibit religious tests. The American view is reflected in their work. The Institute on the Constitution is an organization dedicated to misinforming the public and cannot be trusted.