After reading about the English civil wars, oversensitivity to any whiff of religious establishment is at least somewhat understandable. Agree, though. 

Interesting that for many years an avowed atheist could not hold public office (since ultimate accountability must rest with 'the divine lawgiver' and not with men). Some great passages in Cooley's Constitutional Limitations, which used to be the go-to resource for the West. 

 Scottish Common Sense Realism was the order of the day... 

 Still the law in NC, I believe. But it probably wouldn't survive a legal challenge.