# Way to go Texas! (An Atheist rant.) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988 "2012-03-27T22:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/21 "2012-03-28T04:05:46Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Is that really what y’all have a problem with? That atheists didn’t get special treatment and are in fact treated the same as all other religious groups by the theater? If it’s true they don’t take religious ads, why then were they not pulled til yesterday after it was aired on the news? Like I said before: My BS meter is pinging big time. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/22 "2012-03-28T04:32:15Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Why would an Atheist ad be bad for business?.. Because atheists are the most widely despised minority group in America. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/23 "2012-03-28T04:49:21Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Because atheists are the most widely despised minority group in America. Which, unless atheists like to gather and beat kittens, rape goats, and program things like Windows Vista, is a pitable shame. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/24 "2012-03-28T04:52:58Z")
I just got back from a kitten beat down before posting. Goat raping is on Fridays. And how dare you accuse us of writing Vista! ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/25 "2012-03-28T04:55:00Z")
They should threaten to unbless one state highway with unholy water every day until the ads are run. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/26 "2012-03-28T05:11:48Z")
What did the theater think would happen? This is always what they’d have had to deal with. So it only makes sense to me that they were naive enough to think the ads wouldn’t be that controversial. Oh, and for what it’s worth, I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone who discriminated against atheists, but, then again, there were only five out atheists in my entire school. I just don’t remember those five being treated any differently. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/27 "2012-03-28T09:02:47Z")
> [@](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone who discriminated against atheists The Texas Bill of Rights, quoted in this thread, explicitly discriminates against atheists. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/28 "2012-03-28T12:57:25Z")
How is the short film doing in the other states it’s playing in? Oh, I checked: It was made in Texas… Surely, Atheist groups in more open-minded states will snap it up! ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/29 "2012-03-28T13:15:42Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > “Sec. 4. RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, **provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being**.” > > (Bolding mine) Yes, I acknowledge that my wife exists. I can run for office in Texas now! ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/30 "2012-03-28T13:45:37Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > You mean Texas? Where this is actually in the state bill of rights?: > > “Sec. 4. RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, **provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being**.” > > (Bolding mine) Whuh? How come they don’t have to follow the constitution? Is there any legal excuse for that, or do they just get away with it? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/31 "2012-03-28T14:11:15Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > . . . To me, preachy Atheist are just as annoying as preachy Christians. . . Amen to that. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/32 "2012-03-28T14:23:29Z")
> [@](#): > > How come they don’t have to follow the constitution? It’s the wording that makes it acceptable: think of the declaration of independence. I can’t say whether or not the framers would think it laughable since the Constitution’s power was derived from “We the People” revoking the concept of “A Deo Rex, a Rege lex”, but they were more concerned with diminishing the power of the official churches and building up the wall of separation between church and state than ensuring that atheists could hold office. Jefferson’s letters indicated he doubted a creator of any type, but at the time even officially denouncing Christianity was risky: it cost Thomas Paine a lot of political power. Hell, I suppose not much has changed. So while I think it does cohere with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution de jure, it contradicts their spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/33 "2012-03-28T14:30:50Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > They should threaten to unbless one state highway with unholy water every day until the ads are run. Dude, you know what it’s like around here. Speaking of highways: a few years ago, in the middle of one of Lubbock’s massive highway projects, they tried to pretty things up a big by adding some decorative sculptures to the concrete panels along the bridges. One of them had an image of the North Wind, basically a cloud with a face, which they called the “windy man” on the news. It was actually pretty appropriate, since Lubbock is so dang windy all the time. Well, the world’s stupidest shitstorm kicked up over it, with people decrying the “pagan idolatry” being erected by the local government and whatnot. Ultimately, some good religious folks just went out and bashed the sculpture beyond recognition. So, problem solved I guess. At least, until last year, when they [put up the one remaining “windy man” panel](http://www.kcbd.com/story/14924060/controversial-windy-man-sculpture-returns-to-lubbock), way up high so it’d be harder to vandalize. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/34 "2012-03-29T00:15:33Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > Whuh? How come they don’t have to follow the constitution? Is there any legal excuse for that, or do they just get away with it? That portion of the Texas Constitution was written in 1876 and is purely historical. Any attempt to enforce it today would be absolutely barred by the First Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/35 "2012-03-29T02:23:58Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I’m talking about the sanctimonious people of Texas, not the government. Don’t lump me in there. They annoy the hell out of me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/36 "2012-03-29T13:02:22Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > That portion of the Texas Constitution was written in 1876 and is purely historical. Any attempt to enforce it today would be absolutely barred by the First Amendment. And yet remains in there because any attempt to remove it from the Constitution would be embarrassingly met with a great deal of opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/37 "2012-03-29T15:07:55Z")
Not to harp on the subject, but I just found another one on Fark. [This time Capitol One would like to throw their hat in the ring of stupidity.](http://consumerist.com/2012/03/capital-one-says-it-doesnt-allow-religious-images-on-credit-cards-apparently-hasnt-looked-at-its-own.html) Talk about your face palm moments. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/38 "2012-03-29T18:05:38Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > And yet remains in there because any attempt to remove it from the Constitution would be embarrassingly met with a great deal of opposition. That plus pointlessness, sure. If the Texas Consititution were ever entirely redrafted like people have been proposing for literally about a hundred years I feel pretty sure it would quietly be dropped, but to repeal it from the present constitution would require a proposition passed by the legislature and then voted on by the voters statewide, all to repeal an unenforceable 137 year old law that almost nobody here is even aware of. I’m sure the same small but extremely vocal minority that thinks depictions of the North Wind on Lubbock overpasses are sent from the Super Devil would see it as part of some weird government conspiracy to piss off God, and it would take a particularly ballsy/masochistic group of legislators to kick that particular turd. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/39 "2012-03-29T18:26:46Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > And yet remains in there because any attempt to remove it from the Constitution would be embarrassingly met with a great deal of opposition. I’m pretty sure that the only thing a Texan atheist could successfully run for is the border. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988/40 "2012-03-30T10:19:15Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Is that really what y’all have a problem with? That atheists didn’t get special treatment and are in fact treated the same as all other religious groups by the theater? Atheists aren’t a religious group. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/way-to-go-texas-an-atheist-rant/616988.md?page=3)