The 28th Amendment: The Freedom, Equality, Justice, Equal Rights, and Complete Removal Of the Church From the State Amendment

November 26, 2012

This is a basic overview of our upcoming 28th Amendment proposal, just to give people an idea of what our positions are. This is a very rough draft.

It is possible that it may be divided into several amendments.

The 28th Amendment is an upgrade to the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution. It goes above and beyond the 1st Amendment in many ways with specific language leaving little to no room for incorrect interpretations. It protects religious and nonreligious people.

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Article I Repeal and Reenactment

Section 1. The first article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press.

Section 3. Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, with the following five exceptions:

1. People taking part in public assemblies and protests cannot carry firearms or weapons, beyond legal pocket knives.

2. Assemblies and protests cannot be held on private property without permission from the owner of that property.

3. Assemblies and protests targeting funerals are unlawful and prohibited.

4. Assemblies and protests targeting weddings are unlawful and prohibited.

5. Assemblies and protests targeting medical facilities, hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, hospices, infirmaries, nursing homes, sanatoriums, and sanitariums, cannot directly interfere, obstruct, block, or impede their normal operations and must be 100 yards away.

Article II Religion

Section 1. Within this 28th Amendment, anything referring to Government, includes the Executive Branch, Congress, the Judicial Branch, and all State Legislatures of the United States.

Section 2. Within this 28th Amendment, the term “church” refers to ALL religious institutions, and religious organizations such as but not limited to the following: abbey, basilica, bethel, cathedral, chancel, chantry, chapel, fold, house of prayer, house of worship, minster, mission, mosque, oratory, parish, sacellum, sanctuary, shrine, synagogue, tabernacle, and temple.

Section 3. The United States of America is not a christian nation nor a nation promoting any religion. Instead, the United States of America is a nation of Freedom, Equality, Justice and Equal Rights for ALL people.

Section 4. The Establishment Clause: The Government shall not make any laws:

1. Respecting an establishment of a national religion or the preference of one religion over another.

2. Which aid one religion, aid all religions or prefer one religion over another.

3. Forcing a person to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.

4. Forcing a person to go to or to remain away from church against their will or force them to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.

5. That punish a person for holding private and personal religious beliefs, disbeliefs or their church attendance or non-attendance.

Section 5. Atheism, Humanism, Free Thinking, Skepticism, and Agnosticism are not religions.

Section 6. Blasphemy is a constitutional right and absolute freedom of speech which cannot be prevented, restricted, limited, impeded, regulated, compromised or have conditions placed upon it by The Government.

Section 7. The National Motto, all currency, and the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America, cannot contain any religious, theistic or deitistic language or terminology and must be removed within one year after the date of ratification of this Amendment.

Section 8. Religious, theistic and deitistic: language, terminology, displays, and symbols, will be removed from ALL public properties, including schools and legal settings; excluding cemeteries and graveyards.

Article III Qualifications and Requirements of Government Officials

Section 1. The following, are the minimum qualifications and requirements that must be met prior to holding any elected or appointed public office within the Government of the United States:

1. Must have no less than a bachelor’s degree.

2. Must take and score above average on all aspects of the most recent version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) test or a future equivalency.

3. Must pass a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation.

4. Must pass a comprehensive Governmental Employee Drug Test.

The drug tests will follow standardized procedures and mandatory guidelines, established by one of the following three organizations or a future equivalency: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

A Medical Review Officer (MRO) will test for amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, opiates and phencyclidine, in drug labs certified by aforementioned authoritative bodies.

Section 2. Additionally, these aforementioned Government officials must pass yearly, random, and unannounced drug testing, or be immediately removed from office.

Article IV Taxes and Government Funding

Section 1. Any organization that promotes or proselytizes religion, will be disqualified from any nonprofit status; All tax regulations will apply, including income and property tax.

Section 2. The Government cannot directly or indirectly fund anything that promotes religion, including any medical facilities, charities or educational organizations such as charter schools. This is not an exclusion of public emergency services.

Section 3. The Government cannot directly or indirectly fund preservation or repair of any religious buildings, or religious historical landmarks, unless they are public property.

Section 4. Taxpayer money designated for education, can only be used to fund public education.

Section 5. The Government cannot directly or indirectly fund any private education organization.

Section 6. The Government cannot directly or indirectly reimburse students, parents or guardians for private education.

Section 7. The Government cannot directly or indirectly fund or supply public school transportation to private schools or any organization that promotes or proselytizes religion.

Article V Removal of Church Influence on Government

Section 1. Current but official religious leaders such as clergy, priests, rabbis, deacons, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, ministers, vicars, pastors, reverends, imams, preachers, monks, chaplains, and nuns, cannot hold any elected or appointed public office or public education positions; official but former religious leaders, must wait a minimum of 10 years before holding any elected or appointed public office and must wait a minimum of 5 years before holding any public education position.

Section 2. Aforementioned religious leaders, religious groups and religious organizations cannot lobby any member of the Government.

Section 3. State Constitutions cannot contain and must remove any pro-religious, pro-theistic or pro-deitistic language, including such references to:

1. Religious tests or qualifications for any office, civil departments, profit or trust, under any Commonwealth.
2. Disqualifications or exclusions for any aforementioned office.
3. Competent persons who can testify as a witness in any court.
4. Prerequisites for employment in the public sector.

Section 4. Any political plank, stated objectives or the platform of any political party, cannot directly or indirectly contain religious, theistic or deitistic language. Any party and its members, violating this Amendment will be officially unconstitutional and unrecognized by the Government, making them unable to hold or run for any Government office.

Section 5. Scriptures cannot be read and prayers cannot be held on the House and Senate floors or at any Governmental, political or judicial proceedings.

Section 6. Immediate impeachment proceedings will begin if a Government official, uses their position to directly and publicly promote or proselytize any religion or theism in speeches, or on radio, TV, internet, newspapers, print and media. *****Work Needed*******

Section 7. Government websites cannot be used to directly or indirectly promote any religion or theism.

Section 8. Religious and theistic decorations, such as but not limited to: Nativity Scenes and angles, cannot be displayed on any public properties; excluding Santa Claus and Holiday Trees.

Section 8. The Federal Holiday that falls on December 25th will be renamed Winter Holidays to be inclusive to all the diverse Winter celebrations of the United States of America and to avoid conflict with the Establish Clause of the Constitution.

Article VI Oaths or Affirmations

Section 1. The Constitution of the United States of America, is the ONLY document that can be used for any and ALL official oaths or affirmations required in any court or any legal preceding and the Government of the United States of America, including all civil and public servants.

Section 2. The usage of religious books, scriptures, and ALL direct or indirect religious, theistic and deitistic language or terminology, will invalidate any required oath or affirmation.

Article VIl Political Contributions

Section 1. Corporations are not people. People, person, or persons as used in this Constitution does not include corporations, limited liability companies or other corporate entities established by the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state.

Section 2. Only private American citizens can make political contributions.

Section 3. Total political contributions, per calendar year, cannot exceed $300.00 from one private American citizen. This limit will be adjusted yearly to keep up with inflation.

Section 4. Corporations, religious groups and religious organizations cannot make any political contributions.

Section 5. All political contributions and political spending will be completely transparent with public access to all transaction records posted on the internet.

Article VIIl Education

Section 1. The government cannot issue school vouchers, education vouchers or any such equivalencies.

Section 2. Creationism, intelligent design and any other religious or theistic hypothesis or belief, will be outlawed from ALL public education, unless it can reach the level of a scientific theory by the simple majority of the science community.

Section 3. Public teachers cannot pray in front of students or participate in prayer with students on public property.

Section 4. Public school students cannot pray during classes.

Section 5. Religious scriptures cannot be used in any English or Literature courses of Public Education Curriculum.

Section 6. In order to receive accreditation: two classes using federally approved textbooks are mandatory in all schools, public and private, during every year of school, beginning in first grade and ending in twelfth grade:

1. History of Major World Religions and Comparative World Religions

2. Evolution and Scientific Theories

Article lX Reproductive Rights (Being Updated)

Section 1. For the purposes of all laws of this nation, a “person” means only those living human beings who have completed a gestation and are living outside of a womb.

Section 2. Regardless of age, personal access to contraception, abortion services or any other method of ending an unwanted pregnancy, shall not be denied, prevented, restricted, limited, impeded, or abridged by the Government.

Section 3. The Government cannot pass any law that prevents, restricts, limits, impedes tubal ligations, vasectomies, other surgical sterilizations or any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy, for adult women, which is defined as over the age of 18.

Section 4. ALL adult women will have full, exclusive, absolute, and unlimited rights to decide their OWN PERSONAL reproductive choices, reproductive rights, family planning, or any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy and ALL decisions concerning childbearing.

Section 5. The Government cannot pass any law that prevents, restricts, limits, impedes or places conditions upon an adult woman’s personal right to access contraception, abortion services and any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy.

Section 6. The Government cannot pass any law that requires individuals to undergo any medical procedures, in order for that individual to have access to any abortion services.

Section 7. No employer shall prevent, restrict, limit, impede or place conditions upon an individuals personal right to access contraception, tubal ligations, vasectomies, abortion services and any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy or any other medical decisions of their employees.

Section 8. It is unconstitutional for a licensed medical professional to deny, prevent, restrict, limit, impede or place conditions upon an individuals personal right to access contraception, tubal ligations, vasectomies, any surgical sterilizations, abortion services and any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy

Section 9. It is unconstitutional for Pharmacy owners or employees to deny, prevent, restrict, limit, impede, discourage or place conditions upon an individuals personal right to access contraception or any other prescriptions that prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Section 10. Any person who becomes pregnant as a result of rape or incest, and carries the pregnancy to term, as well as any adoptive parent, shall be immune from a suit by the father for any paternal or visitation rights.

Section 11. No legal action can be taken against a pregnant person who has a miscarriage.

Section 12. The Government cannot pass any law that in any way, withholds any funding for contraception, tubal ligations, vasectomies, any surgical sterilizations, abortion services and any other method of preventing unwanted pregnancy

Section 13. Life does not begin at conception and the Government cannot pass any law supporting the belief that it does. Life begins prior to conception. A zygote is formed by the fusion of a LIVING female reproductive cell (ovum) and a LIVING male reproductive cell (spermatozoon). Regardless of the point wherein people personally judge or believe that a human life begins, whilst it is reliant upon and thus a part of a woman’s body, a pre-human being is considered a part of the woman’s sovereign being and cannot be judged of greater value than the woman who carries it. Stem Cells, zygotes, morulas, blastocysts, embryos, and fetuses are not people.

Article X Equality of Pay (Being Written)

Section 1. As of 2014, the federal minimum wage will be 13.00 per hour, which will increase on January 1st of every accompanying year, to match the Rate of Inflation and increases in the Cost of Living.

Section 2. Equal pay must be given for equal work and experience. No employer can discriminate by paying people less due to their gender or sexual orientation.

*This section will incorporate sections from:

http://www.pay-equity.org/info-Q&A-Act.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilly_Ledbetter_Fair_Pay_Act_of_2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paycheck_Fairness_Act

Article Xl LGBT rights and Marriage Equality (Being Updated)

Section 1. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Section 2. ALL people are equal, including LGBT citizens who have ALL equal rights that heterosexual citizens have. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the Government on account of gender or sexual orientation.

Section 3. The definition of marriage is:

A civil right to make a legal contract and legal union between two people of any gender to live as a couple, committed to one another, forming a familial and economic bond, pledging themselves to each other in a formal-monogamous union.

Section 4. LGBT rights include marriage equality, with ALL legal rights and bindings that legal heterosexual marriage provides, which cannot be restricted or refused, due to any person’s sexual orientation.

Section 5. Religious organizations as well as their employees and volunteers, do not have any legal authority to “issue” any “legal” marriage documents. Religious leaders may perform marriage ceremonies but do not automatically receive the authority to do so. They must receive federal certification, which requires mandatory following of the 28th Amendment. Any certified person who fails to abide by the 28th Amendment, will lose their certification for life, without any future chances to obtain another ceremony certification.

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~Notes and additional information

Even though this “America was founded as a christian nation” delusion has been debunked, it wouldn’t matter if it were true. It wouldn’t matter if 100% of the “founders” were priests. It would’t matter if god and jesus infested every sentence of our constitution. Society has evolved. The 28th Amendment will clean up the oppression of religion from our government.

The Proven to be Secular, Founding and Early Documents of The United States of America. The Evidence that America’s Government was to be Separated From any Influence of any Religion http://tmblr.co/ZFotutY5YRFE

If a church wants to help people, help them. Don’t exploit downtrodden people for future financial gain. If churches want their charities to double as a promoting institution, taxes will apply. Otherwise, the government would be aiding in the promotion of religion.

This Amendment will save the country billions of dollars per year. All money saved will support all the nonreligious organizations that already exist, that perform related functions of such religious organizations. This will allow these secular organizations to expand. All money will be regulated and monitored; while no longer being filtered into religious extremist groups or funding other religious agendas.

Parents and religious organizations can preach the misinformation of Creationism and Intelligent Design on their own time.

The Complete Case Against the Christian Scheme of “Education” School Vouchers or the Government Funding of Teaching Religion, while cutting Public Education Funding and the Steady Erosion of Separation of Church and State

http://tmblr.co/ZFotutsJ3FFO

Currently, there are 216 religion-related advocacy groups operating in the nation’s capital.

http://www.pewforum.org/government/lobbying-for-the-faithful—exec.aspx

In the United States, seven state constitutions officially include religious tests that would effectively prevent atheists from holding public office, and in some cases being a juror/witness.

In 1961, the United States Supreme Court explicitly overturned the Maryland provision in the Torcaso v. Watkins decision, holding that laws requiring “a belief in the existence of God” in order to hold public office violated freedom of religion provided for by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Did you know that atheists can’t hold public office in 7 states?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FefynZwWM0I&feature=related

Texas

Tennessee

South Carolina

North Carolina

Mississippi

Maryland

Arkansas

Arkansas, Article 19, Section 1:

Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness.

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.

Pennsylvania, Article I, 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.

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.

Everson v. Board of Education

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everson_v._Board_of_Education

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=330&invol=1

Article Two of the United States Constitution

Section 4: Impeachment

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High crimes and Misdemeanors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Two_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_4:_Impeachment

The Constitution also allows for involuntary removal from office. The President, Vice-President, Cabinet Secretaries, and other executive officers, as well as judges, may be impeached by the House of Representatives and tried in the Senate.

Any official convicted by impeachment is immediately removed from office. The Senate may also choose to bar the removed official from holding any federal office in the future. No other punishments may be inflicted pursuant to the impeachment proceeding, but the convicted party remains liable to trial and punishment in the courts for civil and criminal charges.

A civil servant or public servant is:

All three branches of the Federal Government:

Executive (President)

Legislative (Congress - Senate and House of Representatives)

Judicial (Supreme Court and lower Courts).

All employees of the U.S. Department of Education

All persons in the public Sector employed for a government department or agency.

All persons holding a government office or job by election or appointment.

Everyone who is a chief executive of, or a statutory officer or employee in, a Department in the Public Service.

Examples include, among others,

police officers

paid and volunteer firefighters

health officers

the public works director and designees,

city clerk and designees

code enforcement personnel

city personnel authorized to enforce city ordinances, statutes, and codes.

Article VI, paragraph 3, and states that:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Religious_Test_Clause

Section 2. When The President of the United States, takes the Oath of office, as described in Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight, of the United States Constitution, it must be carried out using the United States Constitution. No other document can be used, including religious books, scriptures, as well as any theistic terminology or theistic language used.

This has been interpreted to mean that no federal employee, whether elected or appointed, career or political, can be required to adhere to or accept any religion or belief.

Article Two of the United States Constitution creates the executive branch of the government, consisting of the President, the Vice President, and other executive officers chosen by the President.

Section 1: President and Vice President

Clause 8: Oath or affirmation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Two_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Clause_8:_Oath_or_affirmation

“As a reminder, Mr. Speaker, I do believe this has been forgotten entirely by many of my colleagues today: Each of us We did not place our hands on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.”

“Not red, not blue, but red white and blue.”

Republicans To Read Bible On House Floor

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2011/1/26/7263/26608

Senate Chaplain Barry Black is the pitchman. His words of prayer are among the first words heard on the Senate floor each morning.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-chaplain-praying-prayer-time-wisdom-capitol-hill/story?id=16082587

House opens session with prayer by controversial pastor, DFL protests

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2011/05/house_opens_ses.shtml

Citizens United Decision and Corporate Personhood.

It will reestablish and expand The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA, McCain–Feingold Act, Pub.L. 107-155 , 116 Stat. 81, enacted March 27, 2002, H.R. 2356 ) and thus, The Federal Election Campaign Act.

http://workplace.samhsa.gov/DrugTesting/Level_1_Pages/mandatory_guidelines5_1_10.html

http://www.drugabuse.gov/funding/clinical-research/guidelines-developing-data-safety-monitoring-plan

~For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/Pass28thAmendment/info

The 28th Amendment protects freedom from religion. Please see our related research blogs to see why our proposal is so important:

We must completely remove religion from our government, courts, military, and education system.

http://tmblr.co/ZTwOHxIn0SUz

The religious/political attack on education, public funding of private religious miseducation systems and antievolution

http://tmblr.co/ZTwOHxC0_8Ev

Christian Reconstructionism, Dominionism, Biblical Capitalism, Theocratic Libertarians, Christian World Domination (Evangelisation), The Lausanne Movement, The Christian Identity Movement, The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and Seven Mountains Dominionism (7MD)

http://tmblr.co/ZTwOHxQvfq9W

America’s True History of Religious Tolerance

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Americas-True-History-of-Religious-Tolerance.html