Into the Night
Verified User
The 14th amendment does no such thing.The "Appropriate law" is the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which forbids States from violating the rights that the Federal government is prohibited from violating.
WRONG. Some of the Bill of Rights already applied to the States.Those portions still do. Others do not apply to the States. That has not changed either.Prior to the passage of the 14th, the protections in the Bill of Rights restricted only the actions of the Federal Government.
If a State desires to do so, it still can. Currently, no States do.The US Constitution, for example, says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." This did not prevent the individual STATES from having an established religion, though (i.e. an "official State religion", and several of them did. After the passage of the 14th, though, that too became illegal.
Personally, I believe this amendment should be repealed. It removes the representation of the States as States in the federal government.The passages of the 14th Amendment, which bound the States to the Federal Bill of Rights, and the 17th Amendment, which called for the direct election of Senators, are the two biggest changes in the fundamental structure of the US since it was founded.
None, currently.While several States have such religious tests in their Constitutions,
No, they aren't.all such clauses are invalid.
No, it doesn't.The 14th Amendment would make denying State elected office to an atheist a violation of his rights under the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution, and illegal.
No court has the authority to change the Constitution of the United States or of any State.This question has been thoroughly litigated, and is settled law.
The governing case law is "Torcaso v. Watkins". Torcaso was denied a commission as a Notary in Maryland because Maryland had an oath requirement that required candidates for public office, and for certain types of commissions - including notries - to assert a belief in a "Supreme Being".
No court has the authority to change the Constitution of the United States or of any State.