State Constitution (Religious Sections)

*The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State*
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State Constitution (Religious Sections) - Georgia

Please note that we have excerpted only those sections dealing with religion

Research and editing by Jim Allison

GEORGIA CONSTITUTIONS

1777; 1789; 1798; 1861; 1865; 1868; 1877; 1945

Article VI of the Constitution of 1777 required that "representatives . . . shall be of the Protestant religion, . . ."

Articles XIV, XV, XXIV, require, all entitled to vote, all Representatives, Governor, President of Council to take oaths that ends with the words, "so help me God."

Article LIV provided that "schools shall be erected in each county, and supported at the general expense of the State, as the legislature shall hereafter point out."

Article LVI provided that: "All persons whatever shall have the free exercise of their religion; provided it be not repugnant to the peace and safety of the State; and shall not, unless by consent, support any teacher or teachers except those of their own profession."

Article LXII. No clergyman of any denomination shall be allowed a seat in the legislature.

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GEORGIA CONSTITUTION OF 1789

ARTICLE I.

Section 3. The Protestant requirement for office was dropped

Section 15. The "so help me God" ending to oaths for office was dropped

Section 18. No clergyman of any denomination shall be a member of the general assembly

ARTICLE IV

Section 5. All persons shall have the free exercise of religion, without being obligated to contribute to the support of any religious but their own.

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GEORGIA CONSTITUTION OF 1798

ARTICLE IV

Section 10. No person within this state shall, upon any pretense, be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping God in any manner agreeable to his own conscience, nor be compelled to attend any place of worship contrary to his own faith and judgment; nor shall he ever be obliged to pay tithes, taxes, or any other rate, for the building or repairing any place of worship, or for the maintenance of any minister or ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or hath voluntarily engaged. To do. No one religious society shall ever be established in this state, in preference to another; nor shall any person be denied the enjoyment of any civil right merely on account of his religious principles.