Today the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty reminded the Arkansas legislature that "the free expression of religious belief, together with what James Madison called 'the full and equal rights of conscience,' should apply to people of all religious traditions -- including atheists." It added that "government should no more penalize a person for professing atheism than for professing a belief in Christianity, Buddhism or Islam." You might wonder why this lesson in tolerance was necessary in 21st-century America. It turns out that Arkansas is one of the few states whose constitutions still bar nonbelievers from holding government jobs or testifying in court. According to the Becket Fund, the others are Tennessee and Texas.
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Atheist Revival in Arkansas
