Oaths in the United States - Church vs State

There is always confusion over separation of church and state in the United States. A church could be defined as a religious organization made up of a congregation, its members and clergy. Religion is the belief in and dedication to a god or gods, or a set of values regarding the source and rationale of the universe. This definition does not limit religion to Christians. Yet “God” is very much a part of United States government. As Americans we take oaths and allegiances which include reference to “God” all the time.

In the United States, the oath of office for the President of the United States is specified in the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1): “so help me God” is traditional added to the end of the oath. It is not present in the Constitution’s text which states, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The number of Presidents who used a Bible or added the words "So help me God" at the end of the oath, is not known. The use of a Bible or the acceptance of the oath is not required by law; other federal oaths do include the phrase "So help me God.

Franklin Pierce and Herbert Hoover (who was a Quaker), used the word affirm instead of swear. Theodore Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and John Quincy Adams did not use Bibles; Adams used a book of law and Johnson used a Roman Catholic Missal, book published by the authority of the Church containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.

“So help me God” is not required to be said by military officers, non-commissioned offices (oath of enlistment), or federal employees if the individual has a personal or moral objection. This is true of all oaths administered by the United States government. Article Six of the United States Constitution requires that there be no religious test for public office. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are examples of government policies and agencies preventing discrimination on the basis of religion.

Keith Ellison, Minnesota 5^th Congressional District was the first Muslim elected to United States Congress in 2006. He took his oath of office on the Qur'an that was owned by Thomas Jefferson. A English translation by George Sale published in 1750, Jefferson’s Qur'an survived the 1851 fire that destroyed most of his collection. The current oath is a product of the 1860s. The words of the oath are "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

Louis A. Bowman (1872-1959) was Chaplain of the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. At a meeting on February 12, 1948, Lincoln's Birthday, he led the Society in swearing the Pledge of Allegiance with two words added, "under God." The words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance June 14, 1954, by a Joint Resolution of Congress amending §7 of the Flag Code enacted in 1942.

In law, oaths are made by a witness to a court of law before giving testimony and usually by a newly-appointed government officer to the people of a state before taking office. In both of those cases, though, an affirmation can be usually substituted. ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Mateen v. State of North Carolina, the principal was plaintiff was Syidah Mateen an American-Muslim. Lawsuit stated that non-Christians be allowed to swear on religious texts of their own faith rather than the Bible. What do atheists use? North Carolina faith leaders supporting Quran oath ran the headlines. A group of religious leaders from voiced the opinion that “North Carolina is an increasingly diverse place and says that religious differences need to be respected.” They also made the observation that the South is no longer in the “Bible belt. Today, we live in the Bible-Talmud-Qur'an-Veda-Dhammapada-Guru Granth Sahib-Kitabi Iqan Belt.”

The Alabama State Bible dates back to 1853. It is considered one of the symbols of the state of Alabama, and is kept on display at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The State Bible was purchased in 1853 by the Executive Department of the State Government, and has been used at the inauguration of every State Governor since then.