BY ENGY ABDELKADER
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In addition, Article VI of the Constitution mentions religion in the spirit of upholding religious conscience. This lesser-known provision, the No Religious Test Clause, prohibits the imposition of ecclesiastical requirements to qualify for public office. In doing so, the Founding Fathers moved away from a long-standing form of religious discrimination prominent in England and the first colonies that barred members of particular faith communities from public service. The U.S. Supreme Court case, Torcaso v. Watkins, decided in 1961, may prove instructive.
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