Critics Say Atheist N.C. City Councilman Unworthy of Seat
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell believes in ending the death penalty, conserving water and reforming government -- but he doesn't believe in God. His political opponents say that's a sin that makes him unworthy of serving in office, and they've got the North Carolina Constitution on their side.
Bothwell's detractors are threatening to take the city to court for swearing him in, even though the state's antiquated requirement that officeholders believe in God is unenforceable because it violates the U.S. Consititution.
"The question of whether or not God exists is not particularly interesting to me and it's certainly not relevant to public office," the recently elected 59-year-old said.
Raised a Presbyterian, Bothwell began questioning Christian beliefs at a young age and considered himself an atheist by the time he was 20. He's an active member of the Unitarian...
"Bothwell's detractors are threatening to take the city to court for swearing him in, even though the state's antiquated requirement that officeholders believe in God is unenforceable because it violates the U.S. Consititution"
Belief in God is unenforceable, true; that it violates the Constitution, false. God isn't a religion, never has been. Amendment 1 forbids Congressional preference for an particular establishment of religion. Whether God is perceived rightly or wrongly, there is no required exclusion of him in the Constitution.
Mike, that makes me a pragmatist. The ones who get hurt are the ones who land with a thud on one side or the other of the fence.
Will Rogers wrote: This country has come to feel the same when congress is in session as when a baby gets hold of a hammer. It is awful hard to get people interested in corruption unless they can get some of it. The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best. A politician is just like a pickpocket; it's almost impossible to get him to reform.
It's almost impossible for a Christian to be a politician.
Mark 10 42 And calling them to Himself, Jesus said^ to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."---NASB
Jim Lincoln wrote: --- I don't like left wing extremists any more than I do right wing ones. ---
So then does that make you a moderate? You know, one of those who make up their minds when they see which way things are going? You could get injured straddling the fence like that, Jim.
"Belief in God" is meaningless unless that deity is defined precisely. Nonetheless, states are Constitutionally free to establish such [lame] requirements of officeholders.
Jim's apologetic link is uselessly shallow "cookbook" stuff.
Lincoln had a Unitarian on the city council several years back, and he was much more interested in commenting on national issues than he was in business of the city of Lincoln.
I don't like left wing extremists any more than I do right wing ones. The Lincoln City Council is better off without him.
Dr. Bill Jones | 6/18/2008
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