Articles Of Incorporation Mississippi: Fill & Download for Free

Q: Does the "Bible Belt" states in America forbid atheists to serve in public offices?A: The following states ban atheists from serving in public offices in their state constitutions:Arkansas: Article 19, Section 1"No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court."Maryland: Article 37"That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution."Mississippi: Article 14, Section 265"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."North Carolina: Article 6, Section 8"The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."South Carolina: Article 17, Section 4"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."Tennessee: Article 9, Section 2"No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."Texas: Article 1, Section 4"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."An eighth state constitution affords special protection to theists.Pennsylvania: Article 1, Section 4"No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth."…which would then be the exception that confirms the rule.These articles in their respective state constitutions are probably unenforceable due to the First Amendment of the United States and the doctrine of incorporation, but the articles are still there. And there has been some noise from, among others, Justices Gorsuch and Thomas that states should be allowed to have state religions, so don’t count on them being unenforceable for all eternity.

OK, OK, several killjoys have pointed out that you don’t actually get a lei when you arrive in Hawaii, unless your friends bring you one, or you pay for one in advance as part of a tour package.But let’s answer the question as it was asked: hypothetically, what traditional gifts should you receive in each state, as soon as you crossed the border or stepped off the plane? EDIT: As of now I still don’t have all fifty states represented, but I’ve taken suggestions from the comments section, reworking some of them, and will add more as time goes by.Louisiana: A large colorful plastic bead necklace. But only if you’re female and attractive, and only if you. . . well, never mind.New Mexico: A traditional ristra of dried chile peppers, which you must eat within thirty minutes if you want to be allowed to stay.Texas: A plate of barbecued brisket, marred by a ten-minute harangue about how Texas could secede any time it wanted to and is only hanging around with the other, lesser 49 states because it feels like it, by damn.Northern California: A small, decorative window box, made of sustainably harvested, ethically sourced, fair-trade timber, carved and painted with traditional shamanic designs by a cooperative of indigenous craftspeople from a proud but struggling Third World nation, and planted with organically grown heirloom variety culinary herbs. If you’re moving to the Bay Area, it can double as your apartment.Southern California: A Botox injection, a double-double animal style, and fifty gallons of free water (courtesy of Northern California).Oregon: On the west side of the Cascades, you get a starter culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) for making your own kombucha. On the east side of the Cascades, you get a rifle.Washington state: A ceremonial evergreen branch and a venti coffee that’s not actually all that good, delivered by a drone dropped from a 747.Nevada: A $10 voucher for the slot machines at the airport departure gates. For every jackpot you win, you are allowed to reclaim one piece of your luggage.Florida: A live baby alligator—inserted down your trousers, because the headlines have just been too prosaic lately.Georgia: A bumper sticker proclaiming “GEORGIA—The Best of Both Worlds! Soulless urban sprawl AND backwards hovels!” (Also: Virginia.)Tennessee: A Day-Glo orange vest, for wearing to the football game on Saturday, and picking up roadside trash the rest of the week.Kentucky: A model race car, in honor of the most famous sporting event in. . . no, wait, is that Indiana? I thought Indiana was the one with the horses. . . well, it’s one or the other, anyway.North Carolina: A souvenir basketball dipped in that weird vinegary barbecue sauce.South Carolina: Immediate conscription into the 15th South Carolina Infantry, which, technically, never did surrender in 1865, and whose commander has just decided the time is right for a swift and decisive bayonet charge against the hated Yankee occupation forces’ encampment on Parris Island.Maryland: A case of crabs. And also, a case of crabs.Pennsylvania: A small plastic statue, suitable for display on your car’s dashboard, of your choice of one of the patron saints of the state: St. Franco Harris, St. Reggie White, or St. Rosey Greer.West Virginia: A scale model of a majestic mountain. To add extra realism, a small dynamite charge is packed inside. In three days, the top will blow off, the model will be left a toxic ruin, you’ll mysteriously get cancer, and Don Blankenship will be a few million dollars richer.Wisconsin: A bust of Vince Lombardi carved from cheese curds.Michigan: A souvenir vial of water. Do not drink it under any circumstances.Iowa: A breaded pork tenderloin sandwich from the deli at your local Hy-Vee—where there’s a helpful smile in every aisle!Indiana: A free sampler of Eli Lilly’s latest product line. Kind of like a chocolate sampler, but nothing is labeled; you just take one and see how you like the results.Illinois: A tax invoice. You don’t need to ask what it’s for.Ohio: Your city is gone. Hey, oh, way to go, Ohio.Minnesota: A warm, filling tuna casserole, served with mild-mannered courtesy that probably masks seething resentment.Nebraska: A wreath woven of corn leaves, tassels, and ears, placed on your head just before your blood is ritually spilled in the fields to bring bountiful crops and appease the spirits of the harvest.North Dakota: We’re not sure, but durum wheat is apparently involved.South Dakota: A title deed to your very own 160 acres of the sacred land of the Lakota nation, stolen from them at gunpoint.Wyoming: A little dogie, whatever that is.Alaska: It used to be that every visitor to the state would receive a traditional delicacy: seal testicles skewered on an oosik. Unfortunately, declining revenues from the Permanent Fund mean that new customs had to be developed. Now, every visitor to The Last Frontier is ceremonially beaten with a smelt by Alaskans shouting their traditional war chant, “You betcha!”Colorado: You can’t quite remember, but dude, it was primo shit, man. Got any more of that pizza?Delaware: Articles of incorporation.New Jersey: What? You’s expectin’ some goddamn present jus’ f’comin’ here? I got somethin’ for ya right here, pal!New York City: A fast, fun and entertaining card game against a smiling, friendly challenger. Only three cards are involved. You can’t lose!New York State: Something called a “Garbage Plate.” I wouldn’t ask if I were you.Vermont: A speeding ticket. Don’t you know that we tracked your plane arriving at 150 miles per hour? That’s an automatic $1000 fine and three points on your license, sir.New Hampshire: Indifference.Maine: Paul LePage, but only if you promise to take him with you when you leave.Rhode Island: A souvenir T-shirt saying “YES, WE ACTUALLY DO EXIST.”Massachusetts: A piping hot bowl of clam chowder. Unfortunately, you’re responsible for paying the tax on it.Utah: A copy of the Book of Mormon, written on golden plates in Reformed Egyptian, with your own personal Urim and Thummim to help you read it. If you don’t like it, you get a personal visit from John D. Lee under a flag of truce.Kansas: Puzzled looks from people wondering why in the world anyone would voluntarily visit Kansas.Idaho: A traditional item of fine Idaho jewelry: a necklace, handcrafted from three pounds of russet potatoes strung on a three-foot length of WF flyfishing line.Washington DC: A free ticket to the Presidential Inauguration, retroactive to January 20, 2017. See, it really was the biggest inaugural crowd in history!Montana: Your very own emotional support sheep.Arizona: Immediate deportation if you’re caught speaking Spanish in Maricopa County.Arkansas: A torn Wal-Mart plastic bag containing a rock of crystal meth.Alabama: A friendly invitation to squeal like a pig.Missouri: Sincere condolences.Oklahoma: A frontal lobotomy.Mississippi: Gonorrhea.

Q: Which countries punish atheism?A: Here are some of them:EDIT: Since so many Americans say that there are no such laws in the US, here are the state constitutions that explicitly says that:Arkansas: Article 19, Section 1"No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court."Maryland: Article 37"That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution."Mississippi: Article 14, Section 265"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state."North Carolina: Article 6, Section 8"The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."South Carolina: Article 17, Section 4"No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution."Tennessee: Article 9, Section 2"No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this state."Texas: Article 1, Section 4"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."An eighth state constitution affords special protection to theists.Pennsylvania: Article 1, Section 4"No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth."…which would then be the exception that confirms the rule.The thing that stops them being enforced is the precedent set Torcaso v. Watkins – but with the current Republican majority in the Supreme Court, of which at least Kavanaugh and Thomas are clearly against that doctrine, and a Dominionist VP and a stranglehold on the GOP by Evangelicals, I would not be so sure that Torcaso v. Watkins is impossible to overturn or that the incorporation doctrine is set in stone.And that’s on top of the informal punishment of atheists – i.e. bullying.