Arrogance is the word. They can't conceive a world where they are not the bosses. That's the problem with monotheistic religions, they tend to be exclusionary in the name of the "universal truth" that only their worshippers get right.
Good luck to Mr Reel. At least, he have the best lawyers he can get to protect his constitutional rights.
It won't be much of a rubbing. This is 10-minute trial, one-line judge's order territory. But I doubt it will even go to trial. They'll slow roll as long as they can, then implement the obvious fix the day before the judge is scheduled to order them to do it.
America seems obsessed with taking oaths. No civil servant let alone volunteer election worker takes an oath in the UK. Judges do when they are sworn in as do jurors and witnesses in court but non religious alternatives are always accepted. Ditto in Parliament for MPs and members of the House of Lords and for service personnel.
Aww you silly Federalist, you! Don’t you know that the good Lord in his Bible somewhere endorsed States Rights? Sure, that was supposed to be about keeping human beings as property, but we also don’t want heathen atheist men corrupting our lily white maidens (who we still think of as property/breeding stock) away from their godly duty of pumping out as many pure White Christians as possible! How will we ever get our White ethnostate? 😂
I need to keep Hemant Mehta‘s post serious as it certainly is, BUT first, a Smile that I bumped into today…
there are other theists and then there are the Cattleticks. Smile starting now …
Each Friday night after work, Heinrich would fire up his barbecue on the shore of Saluda Lake and cook a venison steak.
All of Heinrich’s neighbours were Catholic ... and since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating meat on a Friday.
The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks wafted over the neighbourhood, and was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest.
The Priest came to visit Heinrich, and suggested that he become a Catholic.
After several classes and much study, Heinrich attended Mass ... and as the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, "You were born a Lutheran, and raised a Lutheran, but now you are a Catholic."
Heinrich’s neighbours were relieved, until Friday night arrived and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison once again filled the neighbourhood.
The Priest was called immediately by the neighbours, and he rushed over to Heinrich’s place clutching a rosary and prepared to scold him, when suddenly he stopped and watched in amazement.
There stood Heinrich, clutching a small bottle of holy water, which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You vuz born a deer, you vuz raised a deer, but now you is a rainbow trout."
Here endeth today's SMILE. USA, the UNTIDY STATES of AMERICA.
Whoever they were, they didn't seem very familiar with catholicism. While being secular, France still served catholic based school lunches on Fridays in the 80's and 90's meaning it was always fish or eggs, all year long, not only during Lent.
I went to a Catholic high school. On Fridays during Lent there was one cold lunch option, a tuna salad sandwich. The hot lunch option was a tuna salad sandwich and a side of steamed corn.
It's easy to think that this entire controversy 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘆. But no, the Christian Nazionalists of South Carolina had to officially show their contempt for non-belief by denying the simplest of accommodation for someone who does not, in fact believe.
I think this is more contempt for the non-religious than an attempt to mark territory. In the minds of the government officials up and down the chain that territory has already been staked out, and anyone who objects is to be told to suck it up and go with it. Christian Fucking Privilege is so entrenched in their thinking that just the idea that someone might not be one of them is enough reason to deny.
Not only Atheists, but as the FFRF message pointed out, this rejection is directed toward anyone who doesn't worship the Abrahamic god. If I lived there, I would be in the same situation as Mr Reel. I wouldn't swear an oath on a God(dess) from another Pantheon.
Even the “Abrahamic god” is Christian supremacy and cultural appropriation. Jews don’t consider “Judeo-Christian” a thing… unless they are real estate developer frenemies of Christian Zionists.
The hell of it is, that last portion of the poll worker oath should have been nipped in the bud when it was first written. It wasn't, because Christian privilege, as well as Christian territory marking, as you noted. Worse, crap like this is likely all over state governments, which didn't even think about it, again because of the prevalence of Christian thinking.
It will take a concerted effort to REMOVE any such crap from our government ... and this incident is as good a place to start as any.
As someone who lived in South Carolina for 50 years, I’ll say it: South Carolina believes democracy only exists for certain (white) people who pray the right (Christian Nationalist) way.
Sure, I'll swear an oath to a Middle Eastern deity who had no idea the Western hemisphere even existed. Just as soon as its professors can show me concrete evidence it exists.
“It’s about whether South Carolina believes its democracy belongs to all its people, or only to those who pray the right way.”
Oh, South Carolina believes only those who fit their mold count. (White, cis-het, Christian males) And with the regime running shit, they will be able to get away with more than they should.
Good for James Reel for wanting to work the polls as an atheist and standing firm in his convictions. Good for the FFRF for backing him up.
Eric Larson wrote an incredible book on the events leading up to the South firing on Fort Sumter (as well as the aftermath) called "The Demon of Unrest."
A navy buddy and I had a pretty good time in Myrtle Beach. Until it rained, that is. He had a hard top convertible. We took the top off and left it in the hotel room to cruise the strip. Who knew hell was so wet?
Article VI, Clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office. This is a clear, unambiguous violation of the constitutional right not to be subjected to a religious test to hold a public office. Stand your ground, Mr. Reel. You fight for millions of others, not just yourself. Best of luck!
I doubt the problem is nobody wants to take responsibility for contacting the AG's office. It's also probably not a problem of the relevant Greenville county lawyer not wanting to take responsibility for offering legal advice to the Greenville elections board - that is, after all, their job. I'm guessing either the Greenville elections board has actively avoided getting legal advice in order to slow roll the change, or that they got advice and are keeping it under wraps to slow roll the change.
Either way, I expect the problem will miraculously go from "it's absolutely impossible to change, nobody can do what you're asking" to "oh we made that change, why are you still complaining about it?" a few days before the case is scheduled to go to trial.
It already did, he was trying to be one for the 2024 election. Now hopefully he's trying to do so again for the 2026 election. Goodness knows we need all the people of integrity we can get as poll workers, no matter what they believe about the supernatural.
And in Paragraph 2, just above that statement, it says that the Constitution of the United States is THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND. That said, I want to know just how some South Carolina dipshit feels as though they have the right to deny an atheist the right to serve his country as a poll worker! It's beyond ludicrous, and I'm very pleased to know that the Freedom From Religion Foundation is all over this like white on rice.
God is not necessary to our government. It damned well doesn't belong in an oath for a poll worker.
The Right have been plotting a Convention of the States movement to take over enough state legislatures to change the Constitution. Our side needs to be ready to fight back. No more guns and no more gods.
Arrogance is the word. They can't conceive a world where they are not the bosses. That's the problem with monotheistic religions, they tend to be exclusionary in the name of the "universal truth" that only their worshippers get right.
Good luck to Mr Reel. At least, he have the best lawyers he can get to protect his constitutional rights.
With the FFRF in his corner, I pity his opponents!
South Carolina's nose is about to be rubbed in shit.
It won't be much of a rubbing. This is 10-minute trial, one-line judge's order territory. But I doubt it will even go to trial. They'll slow roll as long as they can, then implement the obvious fix the day before the judge is scheduled to order them to do it.
Deserved. Would that it weren't necessary.
Certainly gives another meaning and context to "brown-nosing."
I doubt Mr Reel is the only one who had been rejected that way. If his story get publicized enough, maybe others will join him in his fight.
Perhaps a small class-action lawsuit? That wouldn't bother me in the least!
Grease is the word. Or maybe bird.
The Beatles say the word is love.
https://youtu.be/2WNrx2jq184?t=27
Greasy bird? Bird grease?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a1061accd6212f0314f3dd85f8194d01b5d23f6291af3ad4a7179a4cabbf6a4b.jpg
America seems obsessed with taking oaths. No civil servant let alone volunteer election worker takes an oath in the UK. Judges do when they are sworn in as do jurors and witnesses in court but non religious alternatives are always accepted. Ditto in Parliament for MPs and members of the House of Lords and for service personnel.
Here, it's secular with reasonable religious accomodations possible.
Simple. Federal law (US Constitution) trumps state law (state constitutions).
South Carolina loses.
Aww you silly Federalist, you! Don’t you know that the good Lord in his Bible somewhere endorsed States Rights? Sure, that was supposed to be about keeping human beings as property, but we also don’t want heathen atheist men corrupting our lily white maidens (who we still think of as property/breeding stock) away from their godly duty of pumping out as many pure White Christians as possible! How will we ever get our White ethnostate? 😂
Doesn’t the Constitution specify no religious test shall be used to hold public office?
Yup. Article 6, Clause 3.
Since when have christians let the Constitution get in their way?
I need to keep Hemant Mehta‘s post serious as it certainly is, BUT first, a Smile that I bumped into today…
there are other theists and then there are the Cattleticks. Smile starting now …
Each Friday night after work, Heinrich would fire up his barbecue on the shore of Saluda Lake and cook a venison steak.
All of Heinrich’s neighbours were Catholic ... and since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating meat on a Friday.
The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks wafted over the neighbourhood, and was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest.
The Priest came to visit Heinrich, and suggested that he become a Catholic.
After several classes and much study, Heinrich attended Mass ... and as the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, "You were born a Lutheran, and raised a Lutheran, but now you are a Catholic."
Heinrich’s neighbours were relieved, until Friday night arrived and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison once again filled the neighbourhood.
The Priest was called immediately by the neighbours, and he rushed over to Heinrich’s place clutching a rosary and prepared to scold him, when suddenly he stopped and watched in amazement.
There stood Heinrich, clutching a small bottle of holy water, which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You vuz born a deer, you vuz raised a deer, but now you is a rainbow trout."
Here endeth today's SMILE. USA, the UNTIDY STATES of AMERICA.
In the Middle Ages, barnacle geese were apparently regarded as fish. This allowed them to be eaten during Lent, when meat could not be eaten.
Bishops do lobster on Friday.
Only on Friday ?
In early Detroit, it was muskrats.
Sounds like something the Arch-Criminal US President Dumold Jesus Trump would do. CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT.
Beavers too.
I love eating beavers.
I was raised Lutheran and I can say that Heinrich’s approach is vintage Lutheran!
Oh that’s brilliant. Send it to comedian Charlie Berens.
I do not know who the original author was. It could well be a century old.
💙 …🦘🦘🦘
Whoever they were, they didn't seem very familiar with catholicism. While being secular, France still served catholic based school lunches on Fridays in the 80's and 90's meaning it was always fish or eggs, all year long, not only during Lent.
I went to a Catholic high school. On Fridays during Lent there was one cold lunch option, a tuna salad sandwich. The hot lunch option was a tuna salad sandwich and a side of steamed corn.
We had cooked and hot fish dishes about 3 weeks out of 4 🤮
Correct … and “Cattletick dogs jump like frogs, don’t eat meat on Fridays”.
I learned that from a slightly older than me, Irish blooded child, back in about 1958.
When I recited it to my non-theist mother, she scolded me and laughed.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙.
It's easy to think that this entire controversy 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘆. But no, the Christian Nazionalists of South Carolina had to officially show their contempt for non-belief by denying the simplest of accommodation for someone who does not, in fact believe.
I think this is more contempt for the non-religious than an attempt to mark territory. In the minds of the government officials up and down the chain that territory has already been staked out, and anyone who objects is to be told to suck it up and go with it. Christian Fucking Privilege is so entrenched in their thinking that just the idea that someone might not be one of them is enough reason to deny.
Not only Atheists, but as the FFRF message pointed out, this rejection is directed toward anyone who doesn't worship the Abrahamic god. If I lived there, I would be in the same situation as Mr Reel. I wouldn't swear an oath on a God(dess) from another Pantheon.
Even the “Abrahamic god” is Christian supremacy and cultural appropriation. Jews don’t consider “Judeo-Christian” a thing… unless they are real estate developer frenemies of Christian Zionists.
The hell of it is, that last portion of the poll worker oath should have been nipped in the bud when it was first written. It wasn't, because Christian privilege, as well as Christian territory marking, as you noted. Worse, crap like this is likely all over state governments, which didn't even think about it, again because of the prevalence of Christian thinking.
It will take a concerted effort to REMOVE any such crap from our government ... and this incident is as good a place to start as any.
It essentially makes non-belief a disqualifying thought crime?
When a secular oath is the only one truly inclusive 🙄
As someone who lived in South Carolina for 50 years, I’ll say it: South Carolina believes democracy only exists for certain (white) people who pray the right (Christian Nationalist) way.
Sure, I'll swear an oath to a Middle Eastern deity who had no idea the Western hemisphere even existed. Just as soon as its professors can show me concrete evidence it exists.
Good luck with that.
. . . protect and defend the Constitution of this State and of the United States. So help me, Gandalf.
Or Baphomet. Or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Ramen
How about...
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon!
I don't speak Sindarin.
“It’s about whether South Carolina believes its democracy belongs to all its people, or only to those who pray the right way.”
Oh, South Carolina believes only those who fit their mold count. (White, cis-het, Christian males) And with the regime running shit, they will be able to get away with more than they should.
Good for James Reel for wanting to work the polls as an atheist and standing firm in his convictions. Good for the FFRF for backing him up.
If you live in SC, apologies. A dismal hellhole for humanity.
First in treason in defense of slavery.
Eric Larson wrote an incredible book on the events leading up to the South firing on Fort Sumter (as well as the aftermath) called "The Demon of Unrest."
A navy buddy and I had a pretty good time in Myrtle Beach. Until it rained, that is. He had a hard top convertible. We took the top off and left it in the hotel room to cruise the strip. Who knew hell was so wet?
I remember the water and the air reeking of tobacco, but that was back in the late 90s.
Sorry about that, even though my story is from the early 80s. : )
Suppose a Muslim volunteer poll worler said "So help me Allah," would that be OK? After all, Allah is just the Arabic word for God.
In the babble belt ? Good luck with that.
You might not get shot immediately, but honestly, I'd leave town that day.
Not OT, just another hellhole state.
New Oklahoma schools superintendent rescinds mandate for Bible instruction in schools
https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-schools-bible-mandate-superintendent-630b2f706731224a070d7fef6a35b7d8
Article VI, Clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office. This is a clear, unambiguous violation of the constitutional right not to be subjected to a religious test to hold a public office. Stand your ground, Mr. Reel. You fight for millions of others, not just yourself. Best of luck!
"But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all... but let your 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no."
What does Jesus know?
NO knowledge of germs cuz he said the quaint custom of Jews washing their hands before meals could be done away with. What a dumbass.
To add: Yeah, I know. The scripture came from James 5:12. But it was an echo of what Jesus said in Matthew 5:34-37. :)
Lawn care?
They would accommodate real quick if it were a Christian demanding the change by quoting that verse.
𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚, 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙’𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑦. 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑, 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
I doubt the problem is nobody wants to take responsibility for contacting the AG's office. It's also probably not a problem of the relevant Greenville county lawyer not wanting to take responsibility for offering legal advice to the Greenville elections board - that is, after all, their job. I'm guessing either the Greenville elections board has actively avoided getting legal advice in order to slow roll the change, or that they got advice and are keeping it under wraps to slow roll the change.
Either way, I expect the problem will miraculously go from "it's absolutely impossible to change, nobody can do what you're asking" to "oh we made that change, why are you still complaining about it?" a few days before the case is scheduled to go to trial.
But too late for Reel to become a poll worker.
It already did, he was trying to be one for the 2024 election. Now hopefully he's trying to do so again for the 2026 election. Goodness knows we need all the people of integrity we can get as poll workers, no matter what they believe about the supernatural.
"James Reel decided to become a poll worker."
Let the man dance!
https://youtu.be/6oIX4gaqoD4?t=113
Hmmm, let me think. What was it that Article VI, paragraph 3 said? Oh, yeah:
...𝑛𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠.
And in Paragraph 2, just above that statement, it says that the Constitution of the United States is THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND. That said, I want to know just how some South Carolina dipshit feels as though they have the right to deny an atheist the right to serve his country as a poll worker! It's beyond ludicrous, and I'm very pleased to know that the Freedom From Religion Foundation is all over this like white on rice.
God is not necessary to our government. It damned well doesn't belong in an oath for a poll worker.
The Right have been plotting a Convention of the States movement to take over enough state legislatures to change the Constitution. Our side needs to be ready to fight back. No more guns and no more gods.
South Carolina shows why the Founders didn't want religion to have a place at the table of government.
Yes, it is the poster child for it.