What is the ruling on the imamate of the son of zina?

Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Shafi'i disliked the imamate (leading prayer) of the child of zina (fornication/adultery), while Ahmad and others held that there is no dislike for his imamate if his religiosity is sound and pleasing. This latter view is the most preponderant. They cite verses such as: "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another" and "Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you," and that the legal evidences did not differentiate in the conditions for imamate between the child of zina and others.