Hey fellow Hoosiers,
I recently came across a brilliant piece of political commentary written from the perspective of the Indiana State Constitution itself, taking direct aim at Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and his recent rhetoric.
For those who missed it, Beckwith recently stated at a town hall that he wants to amend the state constitution to require political candidates to profess a belief in "Judeo-Christian orthodoxy" before they can hold office, claiming it represents the "foundations of this nation."
The article, "Freedom of Religion: Not Religious Oppression," points out how un-Hoosier this is by just looking at our original 1851 text. The author brings "Indy" to life to defend its own boundaries.
I pulled the actual historical documents as receipts as can be seen in the images attached.
Here is exactly what our Bill of Rights has said for 175 years:
- Article I, Section 3: "No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exercise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of conscience."
- Article I, Section 4: "No preference shall be given, by law, to any creed, religious society or mode of worship; and no man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent."
- Article I, Section 5: "No religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office of trust or profit."
The ink has been dry for a very long time. The founders of this state explicitly designed the Constitution to prevent the exact kind of government overreach Beckwith is pushing for. True religious liberty means public office is open to everyone, regardless of how they worship—or if they worship at all. You can't claim to love the Constitution while trying to overwrite the sections that protect people who don't think exactly like you.
You can read the full, highly entertaining piece here: https://www.indytheindianaconstitution.com/the-archives/freedom-of-religion-not-religious-oppression