AAN Association of Alternative Newsmedia

Alt-Weekly Staffer-Turned-Politician's Atheism Becoming Hot Issue

By AAN Staff

december 15, 2009 08:49 am

Alt-Weekly Staffer-Turned-Politician's Atheism Becoming Hot Issue

The professed atheism of Cecil Bothwell, a former staff writer at the Mountain XPress who was elected to the Asheville City Council last month, is becoming an issue in North Carolina. Bothwell is facing a challenge that stems from an odd clause in the state's constitution, which bars politicians who deny the existence of God from holding office. Bothwell's opponents are considering a lawsuit over his being allowed to take office (he affirmed the oath of office last week), even though federal courts have ruled religious tests for public office are unlawful under the U.S. Constitution. Meanwhile, the case has gone nationwide, with the Associated Press, the Huffington Post and others weighing in. Last night, Bothwell appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show.

View full article at Asheville Citizen-Times