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I would specifically add the following to this or some other plank under civil rights and liberties or perhaps some other plank.
ReplyDeleteGOVERNMENT SHOULD CEASE THE PRACTICE OF REQUESTING A PERSON TO TAKE AN OATH BASED UPON A BELIEF IN GOD.
Such oaths are required to be initially asked of persons sworn as jurors, persons sworn to testify and persons sworn into public office. Although an alternative oath is allowed for those individuals who refuse to declare “so help me God”, it forces such individuals to request an alternative oath, thereby publicly disclosing a non-belief in God and giving the impression of being less honest and moral than a person who either believes in God or is at least willing to take the religious oath. In no way does such a declaration ensure or encourage honesty.
Article IV of the U.S. Constitution states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” Furthermore, a governmental requirement to either declare or disavow a belief in God is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
UNENFORCEABLE AND CLEARLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAWS SHOULD BE REPEALED.
Examples:
M.G.L. Ch. 71, Sec. 31 (Requiring bible reading in the public schools)
A portion of the Bible shall be read daily in the public schools, without written note or oral comment; but a pupil whose parent or guardian informs the teacher in writing that he has conscientious scruples against it, shall not be required to read from any particular version, or to take any personal part in the reading. The school committee shall not purchase or use in the public schools school books favoring the tenets of any particular religious sect.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 14 (Adultery - Felony)
A married person who has sexual intercourse with a person not his spouse or an unmarried person who has sexual intercourse with a married person shall be guilty of adultery and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 29 (Disseminating obscenity - Felony)
Whoever disseminates any matter which is obscene, knowing it to be obscene, or whoever has in his possession any matter which is obscene, knowing it to be obscene, with the intent to disseminate the same, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one-half years or by a fine of not less than one thousand nor more than ten thousand dollars for the first offense, not less than five thousand nor more than twenty thousand dollars for the second offense, or not less than ten thousand nor more than thirty thousand dollars for the third and subsequent offenses, or by both such fine and imprisonment. A prosecution commenced under this section shall not be continued without a finding nor placed on file. It shall be a defense under this section if the evidence proves that the defendant was a bona fide school, museum or library, or was acting in the course of his employment as an employee of such organization or of a retail outlet affiliated with and serving the educational purpose of such organization.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 34 (Committing abominable and detestable crime against nature - Felony)
Whoever commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with a beast, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 35 (Committing unnatural and lascivious acts - Felony)
Whoever commits any unnatural and lascivious act with another person shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in jail or the house of correction for not more than two and one half years.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 36 (Blasphemy - Misdemeanor)
Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.
M.G.L. Ch. 272, Sec. 36A (Criticizing sports officials too strongly - Misdemeanor)
Whoever, having arrived at the age of sixteen years, directs any profane, obscene or impure language or slanderous statement at a participant or an official in a sporting event, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.
I agree with Mr. Warshaw, both on the issue of separation of Church and State (oaths sworn on the Bible) and on the repeal of unenforceable and unconstitutional laws, particularly as they relate to separation of Church and State.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Warshaw, as well. I think it is detestable that the state implicitly holds non-believers in lower regard.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is an abomination that religious organizations are regularly exempted from human rights codes that all other organizations and individuals must (and should) follow.