No Religious Test Clause

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The No Religious Test Clause is a provision in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits making religious affiliation or belief a requirement for holding any public office or position under the United States.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitutional clause
provision of the United States Constitution
adopted 1788
appliesRegardlessOf belief or nonbelief
religion
religious denomination
appliesTo United States government
surface form: United States federal government

public office under the United States
public trust under the United States
appliesToOathOrAffirmation federal officeholders
bindingOn President of the United States
United States Congress
all federal officers
federal judiciary
cameIntoForce 1789
category Law and religion in the United States
surface form: Religion and the United States Constitution

United States constitutional law
constitutionalLevel supreme law of the land
country United States of America
distinctFrom state constitutional provisions on religious tests
draftedBy Constitutional Convention
surface form: Constitutional Convention of 1787
enshrinedIn supremacy framework of Article VI
ensures that oath or affirmation to support the Constitution is not a religious test
foundIn United States Constitution
governs qualifications for federal office
hasInterpretationBy Supreme Court of the United States
hasShortName Religious Test Clause
historicalContext reaction against religious test oaths in England and some American colonies
influencedBy Enlightenment ideas on religious toleration
isPartOf Article VI of the United States Constitution
language English
legalEffect invalidates federal requirements conditioning office on religious profession
legalScope federal offices and positions under the United States
locatedInDocument Article VI, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution
normativePrinciple equality of citizens in eligibility for federal office
prohibits making religious affiliation a qualification for office
making religious belief a qualification for office
religious tests for public office
requiring a religious oath as a condition for federal office
protects nonbelievers in access to federal office
religious liberty in access to federal office
purpose to prevent religious discrimination in eligibility for federal office
to separate religious qualifications from civil authority at the federal level
relatedTo Establishment Clause
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
Free Exercise Clause
subjectOf church–state separation debates
constitutional law scholarship
text "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States"

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Article VI citedAs No Religious Test Clause
subject surface form: Article VI of the United States Constitution