Atheists aren�t allowed to run for office in Texas

[elam]

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/st...15-3?r=US&IR=T

The Texas Post (December 3, 2014)
http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-dail...fice-in-texas/

"Politics can frequently devolve into absurdity, but the race for the Austin City Council seat in the newly-created District 4 has been remarkably absurd in ways, in fact, that highlight some of the weird things about the entire state of Texas. Or, at least, its constitution..."

(In the race one aspirant accused another of being a self confessed atheist. The accusation based on a paper he'd written many years before. The accuser cited the Constitution of Texas to make the case that the accused should be dismissed from the contest.)

"

[Starlight]

Because the people in Texas are insane?

Fun fact: In Norway, the word "texas" was adopted into their language to mean 'insane' or 'completely crazy', due to the popularity of Texan cowboy movies in Norway in the 50s, and it is still a widely used term in Norwegian.

[KingsGambit]

Several states have similar laws.None of these states actively enforce these laws because any attempt to do so would certainly be swiftly overturned by the courts.

[elam]

Because the people in Texas are insane?

Fun fact: In Norway, the word "texas" was adopted into their language to mean 'insane' or 'completely crazy', due to the popularity of Texan cowboy movies in Norway in the 50s, and it is still a widely used term in Norwegian.

The Norwegian meaning of Texan just might explain CP - Only jiving you CP
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Did you know that in NZ you can be fined $1 million for letting off a nuclear explosions?

Here is a funny site about real laws.
http://www.dumblaws.com/law/1641
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Here in Oz, the weirdest laws tend to be in Victoria but here in NSW we still have some archaic laws on the statute books. Back when at start of year the NSW law faculty would do some outlandish pranks to bring the silliness to public attention. The pranks seem to have stopped a while back - probably the govt passed some public nuisance legislation.

For your amusement, here are some of Oz's weirdest laws - both mythical & real...
http://www.news.com.au/national/cour...1a940f39e07b93

[JonathanL]

The Norwegian meaning of Texan just might explain CP - Only jiving you CP
_______________

Did you know that in NZ you can be fined $1 million for letting off a nuclear explosions?

The easy solution to this is to blow up the courthouse.

[Starlight]

Did you know that in NZ you can be fined $1 million for letting off a nuclear explosions?

New Zealand has been a "Nuclear Free Zone" since the 80s. Stationing nuclear weapons here, testing them, and using nuclear power, is banned. The law you cite bans the testing of nuclear weapons, which is something that used to happen in Australia and which France used to do on south-pacific islands within its control.

[elam]

The easy solution to this is to blow up the courthouse.

Ah! That would be counter productive. We'd still have lawyers & politicians (many of whom have legal backgrounds).

[elam]

New Zealand has been a "Nuclear Free Zone" since the 80s. Stationing nuclear weapons here, testing them, and using nuclear power, is banned. The law you cite bans the testing of nuclear weapons, which is something that used to happen in Australia and which France used to do on south-pacific islands within its control.

All very true. But is the law still on the statute books?

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In any case, unless NZ has become very backward in its health systems, nuclear experimentation is still carried out in NZ. Have you not heard of Nuclear Medicine?

[Darth Executor]

New Zealand has been a "Nuclear Free Zone" since the 80s. Stationing nuclear weapons here, testing them, and using nuclear power, is banned. The law you cite bans the testing of nuclear weapons, which is something that used to happen in Australia and which France used to do on south-pacific islands within its control.

That's too bad, I think NZ would make a great nuclear weapon testing ground.

[Starlight]

All very true. But is the law still on the statute books?

Yes, NZ is still nuclear weapon and nuclear power free by law. This continues to cause ongoing problems with our military alliance with the US, because it means their warships cannot dock here.

In any case, unless NZ has become very backward in its health systems, nuclear experimentation is still carried out in NZ. Have you not heard of Nuclear Medicine?

Radioactive materials can be used in medicine and for scientific research. What is banned is nuclear weapons and nuclear power.

[Leonhard]

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I know you use a lot of these, but they're kinda confusing and ugly to look at. They make it look like most of your post is part of your signature.

In any case, unless NZ has become very backward in its health systems, nuclear experimentation is still carried out in NZ. Have you not heard of Nuclear Medicine?

You don't need nuclear reactors to produce the trace amount of radioactive isotopes used in medical procedures or CAT scans. They're produced readily with a small nuclear accelerator that fits into a device about the size of a refrigerator. Any large scale modern hospital has at least one physicist employed to maintain and run it, as well as other duties where a physicist is useful vis-a-vis modern equipment.

[elam]

I know you use a lot of these, but they're kinda confusing and ugly to look at. They make it look like most of your post is part of your signature.



You don't need nuclear reactors to produce the trace amount of radioactive isotopes used in medical procedures or CAT scans. They're produced readily with a small nuclear accelerator that fits into a device about the size of a refrigerator. Any large scale modern hospital has at least one physicist employed to maintain and run it, as well as other duties where a physicist is useful vis-a-vis modern equipment.

We have a nuclear facility that produces various types isotopes used in medicine, and I promise you it is a hell of a lot bigger than a refrigerator - more like a couple of blocks of flats. Nuculear waste is a big issue at the facility. Every so often the Greens (political party) organise protests and picket the place - they want it closed down.

I presume we export the isotopes to NZ (?) and other countries that don't have equivalent facilities.

[One Bad Pig]

I'm pretty sure the paper is incorrect in this assertion; the No Religious Test Clause only applies to federal office. When the US Constitution was written, it was not at all unusual for states to have religious requirements for holding office, and it was never intended or interpreted (at least in the near term) to prohibit them.

[Leonhard]

We have a nuclear facility that produces various types isotopes used in medicine, and I promise you it is a hell of a lot bigger than a refrigerator - more like a couple of blocks of flats. Nuculear waste is a big issue at the facility.

Well, refrigerator is a bit small of a word. But the one we have sitting a couple of hundred feet from where I'm sitting, is not that big. It's a cyclotron. Looking roughly like this.



Here's a list of the type of isotopes it can make, though I think technetium-99 was off the list.

http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publica...trs468_web.pdf

[KingsGambit]

I'm pretty sure the paper is incorrect in this assertion; the No Religious Test Clause only applies to federal office. When the US Constitution was written, it was not at all unusual for states to have religious requirements for holding office, and it was never intended or interpreted (at least in the near term) to prohibit them.

This is historically accurate.