In Kentucky, a Year in Prison for Atheism

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/in_kentucky_a_year_in_prison_for_atheism_20121123/

A Kentucky law requires residents and government officials to affirm the existence of an almighty, protective God via a series of plaques installed outside the state Homeland Security building, with a penalty of up to 12 months in prison for failure to comply.

The law first appeared in 2006 as a consequence of the efforts of its sponsor, Baptist minister and state representative Tom Riner. Although the law clearly violates the First Amendments separation of church and state, the Kentucky state Supreme Court has refused to review its constitutionality.

The church-state divide is not a line I see, Riner told The New York Times shortly after the law was first challenged in court by an atheist organization and a group of state residents. What I do see is an attempt to separate America from its history of perceiving itself as a nation under God.

Since 2002, state and local officials have spent more than $160,000 in legal fees, having lost case after case to the American Civil Liberties Union for posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings, and they still owe $400,000 for a 2005 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that such displays should be removed, The New York Times reported in 2009.

Well this is....odd....What say you AU? Dafuq is wrong with the US?

Amazing.

Someone should take 'em to court Ahlquist style, they've gotta lose.

A Kentucky law requires residents and government officials to affirm the existence of an almighty, protective God via a series of plaques installed outside the state Homeland Security building, with a penalty of up to 12 months in prison for failure to comply.

wis3boi

No information on how this affirmation is requested or performed there. Seems suspicious... 

 

The law first appeared in 2006 as a consequence of the efforts of its sponsor, Baptist minister and state representative Tom Riner. Although the law clearly violates the First Amendments separation of church and state, the Kentucky state Supreme Court has refused to review its constitutionality.

The church-state divide is not a line I see, Riner told The New York Times shortly after the law was first challenged in court by an atheist organization and a group of state residents. What I do see is an attempt to separate America from its history of perceiving itself as a nation under God.

Since 2002, state and local officials have spent more than $160,000 in legal fees, having lost case after case to the American Civil Liberties Union for posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings, and they still owe $400,000 for a 2005 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that such displays should be removed, The New York Times reported in 2009.

Well this is....odd....What say you AU? Dafuq is wrong with the US?

wis3boi

It is illiegal to have these commandments on display in public buildings, so the law about affirming them is seemingly unenforceable and has been contradicted by Supreme Court rulings. It is also an old story with the rulings made at least 3 years ago, according to the article.

Seems like a non-story to me. I've always wondered why they are called the 10 comandments, when they are seemingly more than 10 of them. 

I know it's some backwater law/rule type thing no one will ever run into trouble with but it just shocks me that the state won't even look at it. Then you have non-believers in politics basically committing political suicide if they speak out about. We have one atheist in congress, and she cannot use the title due to possible backlash

I know it's some backwater law/rule type thing no one will ever run into trouble with but it just shocks me that the state won't even look at it. Then you have non-believers in politics basically committing political suicide if they speak out about. We have one atheist in congress, and she cannot use the title due to possible backlash

wis3boi

I thought the article states the Supreme Court already spoke out about it. There need not be any specific atheist agenda required, but a freedom of religion one as has probably already been used successfully by the Supreme Court. I suppose Kentucky is still a deeply religious part of the US. Going by your recently posted charts elsewhere in this union, Kentucky is displayed as one of the more religious and less educated states in the USA.

[QUOTE="wis3boi"]

I know it's some backwater law/rule type thing no one will ever run into trouble with but it just shocks me that the state won't even look at it. Then you have non-believers in politics basically committing political suicide if they speak out about. We have one atheist in congress, and she cannot use the title due to possible backlash

RationalAtheist

I thought the article states the Supreme Court already spoke out about it. There need not be any specific atheist agenda required, but a freedom of religion one as has probably already been used successfully by the Supreme Court. I suppose Kentucky is still a deeply religious part of the US. Going by your recently posted charts elsewhere in this union, Kentucky is displayed as one of the more religious and less educated states in the USA.

the bottom half of the US and into the midwest is basically Jesusland

I'm sure this isn't the only strange thing going on in Kentucky...

Well I'm glad I don't live there..