<P> The No Religious Test Clause of the United States Constitution is a clause within Article VI , Clause 3 . By its plain terms , no federal officeholder or employee can be required to adhere to or accept any particular religion or doctrine as a prerequisite to holding a federal office or a federal government job . It immediately follows a clause requiring all federal and state officers to take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution . This clause contains the only explicit reference to religion in the original seven articles of the U.S. Constitution . </P>
religious tests for officeholding are prohibited by the
The No Religious Test Clause of the United States Constitution