90 years ago: Atheist goes on hunger strike to protest Arkansas Constitution

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalms 14:1a (also Psalms 53:1a)

On October 20, 1928, Charles Smith of New York, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, went on a hunger strike in the Little Rock, Arkansas City Jail, protesting the "injustice of refusing an American the right to testify in his own behalf." He went there to campaign against a proposed anti-evolution amendment, and refused to pay when fined for allegedly distributing circulars which proclaimed "The Bible is a lie" and "God is a ghost." Then, as now, Article 19:1 of the Arkansas Constitution reads: "No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any court." Mr. Smith ended his hunger strike on November 1 after his fine was paid by an admirer.

It did come as a surprise to this blogger that Article 19:1 is still part of the Arkansas Constitution, but it comes as no surprise that it hasn't been enforced in recent memory, since Article VI.3 of the Constitution of the United States prohibits religious tests for holding office, and the First Amendment provides for freedom of religion.

Blogger Vox Day has been arguing recently that Western nations should bring back the laws against blasphemy that they once had; given the behaviour of the anti-Christian individuals and movements and the resulting damage to what was once regarded as civilization, I'm increasingly sympathetic to his position.