Church and State in Ashville, North Carolina

Politicians are often scrutinized by their constituents because, in the opinion of the constituents, politicians have not done enough for the people, they are not being proactive in bettering the area, or because they are not voting the way the electorate wants them to. This is not the case for Cecil Bothwell, a City Councilman from Ashville, North Carolina. He is receiving criticism from his constituents because of his religious beliefs, or lack thereof. He has been an atheist since age 20, a fact that does not sit well with the citizens of Ashville. The people of Ashville, North Carolina do not trust a man who does not have faith in God. They want Bothwell removed from office, stating that they have the North Carolina Constitution on their side, which they do.

The North Carolina Constitution states that a person who does not believe in God cannot hold public office. Other states have had similar restrictions in the past; however, on numerous occasions the federal government has defeated them. The U.S. Constitution is on the side of Cecil Bothwell. In Article XI of the Constitution it states that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” With the power of the Supremacy Clause, the U.S. Constitution will prevent the people of Ashville from removing Councilman Bothwell.

The Founding Fathers wanted states to have autonomy from the federal government in certain areas. States have unique laws, powers, and requirements within their own constitutions. These, however, cannot interfere with the federal Constitution because of the Supremacy Clause. This is not an issue of whether the state or national government has the right to decide if Bothwell stays in office. The Founding Fathers placed a clause in the Constitution stating that someone cannot be removed from office based on religious beliefs. The people of Ashville are scrutinizing Bothwell for no reason because the clause in the North Carolina Constitution that requires office holders to believe in God is unconstitutional, so they have no concrete argument for removing Bothwell.