“I should emphasize that being an atheist would neither
recommend nor disqualify [Jorge Elorza] from being Mayor of Providence,” said
Bishop Thomas Tobin in a surprising, recent Facebook post, but before celebrating Tobin’s tolerance
and openness, we should read on. “But I wonder if an atheist mayor would be in
a position to respect the sincere convictions of believers (of all faiths) and
to encourage and support the many contributions the faith community makes in
our city and state.”
Thus, Tobin slyly implies that atheists are intolerant.
Put aside, for a moment, the idea that atheists may be more or
less intolerant than a conservative, Republican, Catholic Bishop and ponder a
moment what Tobin’s words would sound like if he were talking about group of
people other than atheists.
“But
I wonder if an Asian mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere
convictions of citizens (of all races) and to encourage and support the many
contributions non-Asian communities make in our city and state.”
“But
I wonder if a woman mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere
convictions of men and to encourage and support the many contributions men make
in our city and state.”
“But
I wonder if a Catholic mayor would be in a position to respect the sincere
convictions of Protestants and to encourage and support the many contributions
Protestants make in our city and state.”
A candidate’s religious convictions (or lack thereof) are not
relevant to their fitness for office, unless those beliefs run contrary to the
Constitution of the United States.
Article VI, paragraph 3 of the Constitution
reads, “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of
the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both
of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or
Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall
ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the
United States.”
If your religious beliefs run counter to the freedoms guaranteed
by the Constitution, and you attempt to act on those beliefs in your official
capacity as an elected official or judge, then you are unfit for office.
Unless
one has good reason to suspect that a candidate will not uphold the
Constitution, questioning their fitness for office on the basis of religious
belief or unbelief is bigotry, pure and simple.
Steve Ahlquist is a writer, artist and current president of the
Humanists of Rhode Island, a non-profit group dedicated to reason, compassion,
optimism, courage and action. He also maintains the blog SteveAhlquist.com
where almost all his writing can be found. The views expressed are his own and
not necessarily those of any organization of which he is a member.
His photos and video are usable under the Creative Commons
license. Free to share with credit.
Email: atomicsteve@gmail.com.
Twitter: @SteveAhlquist