North Carolina Repubs Present Bill Declaring State Can Establish Official Religion

[Callisto]

Oh the South, you so cray: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...-religion?lite

Republican lawmakers in North Carolina have introduced a bill declaring that the state has the power to establish an official religion — a direct challenge to the First Amendment.

One professor of politics called the measure “the verge of being neo-secessionist,” and another said it was reminiscent of how Southern states objected to the Supreme Court’s 1954 integration of public schools.

The bill says that federal courts do not have the power to decide what is constitutional, and says the state does not recognize federal court rulings that prohibit North Carolina and its schools from favoring a religion.

The bill was introduced Monday by two Republican representatives from Rowan County, north of Charlotte, and sponsored by seven other Republicans. The party controls both chambers of the North Carolina Legislature.

The two lawmakers who filed the bill, state Reps. Harry Warren and Carl Ford, did not immediately return calls Wednesday from NBC News.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued last month to stop the Rowan County Commission from opening meetings with Christian prayers. One of those prayers declared that “there is only one way to salvation, and that is Jesus Christ,” the ACLU said.

The bill does not specify a religion.

The North Carolina ACLU chapter said in a statement Tuesday that the sponsors of the bill “fundamentally misunderstand constitutional law and the principle of the separation of powers that dates back to the founding of this country.”
North Carolina scholars also cast doubt on the bill.

“It has elements of not being American,” Gary Freeze, a professor of politics and history at Catawba College, told The Salisbury Post. “I think it goes far beyond religion and frankly doesn’t have a lot to do with North Carolina or tradition.”

Another professor at the college, Michael Bitzer, told the newspaper that the bill is based on discredited legal theory that the states can declare themselves exempt from federal law.

“We saw this in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education,” he said, referencing the integration ruling. “The belief is that the states hold more power than the federal government. If the federal government does something, the states can simply ignore it.”

I'm assuming this won't get passed, still gave me the giggles though.

[Callisto]

The bill itself: http://www.ncleg.net/Applications/Bi...=2501&SeqNum=0

[Eurell]

Jesus Christ

[Vuitton]

So much for separation of church and state, hahaha...

[Callisto]

Jesus Christ

yes I think this is what they're going for

[Callisto]

I don't even one what recourse the federal government has if states just ignore federal court decisions and constitutional amendments. Cutting federal funding that goes into the state I'd assume?

[Eurell]

yes I think this is what they're going for

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp...1cg2o1_500.jpg


But yes. This is fucking dumb and it makes me sad that people actually voted for all these assholes.

[Salodin]

I don't even one what recourse the federal government has if states just ignore federal court decisions and constitutional amendments. Cutting federal funding that goes into the state I'd assume?

Isn't that enough? Cut federal funding, shut down interstate roads. People want to cry about smaller guvment till they realize how much they'd lose to it.

[Waraji]

Oh please, secede! I haven't been to 3rd world country in a very long time. Not that I'd ever stamp my passport to enter North Carolina though. If this goes through, does it mean we can stick all the religious crazies in there?

[GoggleHead]

Can we just get rid of the bible belt already?

[Ksandra]

The bill says that federal courts do not have the power to decide what is constitutional

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__...067263235.jpeg

[Seraph]

Sounds like a great idea, right? Maybe, until that official religion that is adopted isn't yours. Be careful what you wish for North Carolina, what you are allowed to do unto others, they are now allowed to do unto you.

[Dotsudoku]

Politician your way into office, establish Islam as the official religion

[Seraph]

Too much work, simply make it an online vote, that way you can get direct feedback from the people!

[Gokku]

Al qaeda moves as many members as it can to NC then turns it into an isreal rip off crazy Islamic state and begin arming themselves under the pretense of 2nd ammendment... I want this to be a movie

[Athas]

Oh-you.jpeg

Well, technically they don't, that was a power they just kind of gave themselves.

Not that it makes this any less stupid or anything, http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kcn7tyQWP...Just+Sayin.png

[ringthree]

The funny thing for me is that they say the justification is that the first amendment only applies to the government, not to the states. Which means that while they can establish religion, they can also shut down free speech, the right to peaceably assemble, the freedom of the press, etc.

[Furionstormrage]

Thank you, North Carolina, for continuing to give me reasons to be embarrassed that I live here.

[Ksandra]

Well, technically they don't, that was a power they just kind of gave themselves.

Not that it makes this any less stupid or anything, http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kcn7tyQWP...Just+Sayin.png

I was kinda going with the whole "courts can't say what's constitutional, so that means we can legislate anything and claim it is!"

[Gwynplaine]

Meanwhile a mere years later and people still don't give a crap about abolishing the federal Office of Faith Based Initiative started by George Bush and continued by Barack Obama.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_H...d_Partnerships