When it comes to the "so help me God" part of the oath, I don't see how those who are administering the oath can know which "God" you're talking about. I've heard Muslims refer to Allah simply as "God" many times. I've also heard those of the Hindu belief simply say "God" in reference to any one of the multitude of Hindu gods. The intent of this oath is clearly aimed towards Christians, however. Plus, if you consider it, it's also clearly aimed as a not too veiled attempt to impose some degree of Christian belief onto someone.
As far as Separation of Church & State, it's something that's really been fudged up from the very beginning. The United States of America was ultimately built with Christianity as the dominant religion. Because of that, aspect of Christianity are ingrained into the fabric of the country. I don't believe there's any way to get around that. We put the words "In God We Trust" onto everything from currency to decorations of state offices such as courthouses. We have elected officials being sworn into by having them place their hands on bibles while saying an oath extremely similar to this one proposed by the Arizona legislature. If you testify in court, you have to swear on a bible as well. There are government buildings with Christian artwork decorating them, including stone carvings of the Ten Commandments.
I'm a Christian and I believe in God. I'll openly and frankly speak to people about my beliefs if they want, but I won't shove it down people's throats. When it comes to anything regarding Christianity, let's face it, Republicans are known for doing best to take personal Christian beliefs and have them legislated as laws. It bothers me because, more often than not, so many of them will use their Christian beliefs as an excuse for their own purposes. Same sex marriage is hotly debated right now and many cite the Bible as their source for being against it. If it's a sin, which the Bible says it is, then it's for God to judge gay men & women, not me. Also, there's ranking of sins as it pertains to which sins are worse than others. In God's eyes, according to Christian teachings, a sin is a sin no matter what. Rush Limbaugh is against it, as many are, because he says it pollutes the sanctity of marriage. What does he know of the sanctity of marriage? He's been married four times. Elected officials who are on the same political page as Limbaugh often proclaim similar beliefs when it comes to marriage, but look at how many of them have mistresses on the side or frequently engage the services of prostitutes. Not that there aren't hypocrites on the left either, as there certainly are, but it tends to be Republicans who thump the Bible and all it stands for to get elected.
Even if something like this oath does pass in Arizona, I think it could be struck down by the higher courts if someone seriously wants to challenge it.
Yeah... except that this isn't actually true. This is revisionist history, at it's finest.
1. The original Constitution, ratified in 1789, had
one reference to religion in it:
[Article 6] No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States
In fact, there isn't a single mention of a single term you'd commonly associate with Christianity or even religion for that matter in the entire document. Not "Jesus Christ", not "Christianity", not "Christian", not "Bible", not "Creator", not "Divine" or even "God". The
only time religion is even mentioned is in
exclusionary terms.
2. The de facto motto of the US, adopted as part of the Great Seal of the US by Congress in 1782 was
E. Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One). Congress changed it 174 years later, in 1956, to "In God We Trust".
3. The original Pledge of Allegiance, written in 1892 by Baptist Minister Francis Bellany, didn't include the words "Under God" — these were added, again by Congress, 62 years later in 1954.
4. The US didn't issue paper currency until 1861, and "In God We Trust" didn't appear on it until 96 years later, in 1957.
As if these facts didn't already destroy your theory enough on their own, numerous signatures on the Delcaration of Independence were authored by secularists and deists, so once again, this idea that the US was founded as a Christian nation is completely revisionist thinking, and if I'm speaking frankly,
bullshit.
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington are widely considered to be the "key" men among the Founding Fathers. Of them, only John Jay could be considered an Orthodox Christian. Franklin, Jefferson, etc. were secularists (as in full on supporters of separation of Church and State).
"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson (Letter to Peter Carr, Aug. 10, 1787)
"This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no [organized] religion in it" - John Adams
"What is it the Bible teaches us? -- rapine, cruelty, and murder. What is it the Testament teaches us? -- to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married, and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.” - Sir Thomas Paine
"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise." - James Madison
"I wish it (Christianity) were more productive of good works ... I mean real good works ... not holy-day keeping, sermon-hearing ... or making long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments despised by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity." - Benjamin Franklin, Works, Vol. VII, p. 75
I find it incredibly hard to believe Christian men, acting with the intent to found a Christian nation, would ever speak in such directly blasphemous tones.
So one last time, so it really sinks in, in case anyone else decides to continue buying these falsehoods that get perpetuated by Right Wing media outlets — The US is not, and was not, founded as a Christian nation. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was founded as a secular nation, and that secularism is what's under attack since the mid twentieth century.
