The most-used and respected short-phrased oath in all the world, “So Help Me God,” is now under review by the Marietta, Georgia, city council with a view to replacing it with an alternative in the police officers’ service pledge.

Councilman Van Pearlberg says he is not looking to delete God but added,  “I never really objected, I really just asked has this ever been a problem or has this ever come up before. I asked if anyone ever objected to it — that’s what I was concerned with.” Pearlberg is anticipating problems with atheists and non-religious.

Councilwoman Annette Lewis agrees an alternative should be available, but doesn’t necessarily want the phrase, “So help me God,” eliminated altogether.

A spokeswoman for the police department says there has been no complaints thus far, and no refusals to take the oath, either. Nonetheless, the city attorney has been instructed to develop alternative language for an officers’ swearing-in pledge before the next council meeting on December 30.

Mayor Bill Dunaway said he’ll veto any change in the oath’s language presented to him by the council’s five members; it would take an unanimous vote to override his veto. “It’s not a threat. It’s just a promise,” says Dunaway. He quipped, “If someone does not want to make that statement, I’m not so sure I want them on our police force.”

Councilman Anthony Coleman is said to be “adamantly” opposed to any change in the oath. “I just see no justification, I don’t care if the person is an atheist,” he said. “We’re a Christian nation.”

Although the specters of political correctness and relativism have entered the city council of Marietta, Georgia, the significant substance, both spiritual and historic, of the oath is going to be difficult to erase.

Historically, both the Old and New Testaments show evidence of oath taking, although the improper use of oaths was counseled against. Early on in American government the first evidence of an explicit oath was codified in the Judiciary Act of 1789 and used by U.S. officers other than the President. When the solemn phrase was omitted it was called an affirmation, not an oath. The oath was simply not mandatory for presidents.

Legend has it that George Washington spontaneously added the “So help me God” phrase at the end of his inauguration, but we only know for certain that he kissed the Bible, something that became tradition. For interesting inauguration facts, Wikipedia relates:

Franklin Pierce was the only president known to use the word affirm rather than swear. Theodore Roosevelt did not use a Bible when taking the oath in 1901. Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, and Richard Nixon swore the oath on two Bibles. John Quincy Adams swore on a book of law. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on a Roman Catholic missal on Air Force One. Washington kissed the Bible afterwards, and subsequent presidents followed suit, up to Harry Truman, but Dwight Eisenhower broke that tradition by saying his own prayer instead of kissing the Bible.

Wikipedia also tells us, “The use of the phrase [So help me God] implies a greater degree of seriousness and obligation than is usually assigned to common conversation.” By requesting heavenly assistance through the invocation of the Divine Authority, God becomes the witness to our resolution to perform a duty. In case of failure to perform the duty within the confines of the pledge that precedes it, the formula should carry with it an awareness of the consequences of failure prescribed by the Almighty.

“So help me God” also renders homage to the Creator by the created. It acknowledges the attributes of God, particularly wisdom and omnipotence, and can therefore be an act of virtue. But reciting the oath certainly affords men security in their dealings with one another in an age where truth, honor, and integrity are often missing.

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rprew said:

Misplaced priorities If it has never been a problem and he himself has no objections, then why is Councilman Van Pearlberg bringing the issue up in the first place? I'm with Mayor Bill Dunaway. If someone doesn't want to take the oath, he/she probably isn't someone I would want to "serve and protect". I would not trust them to do either. It seems to me Van Pearlberg should be more concerned with police officers who VIOLATE the oath they have taken.

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November 24, 2009
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Pat Henry said:

	Time to stand up Another way is by signing the recently released Manhattan Declaration: http://manhattandeclaration.org/decsign.php (Read it first at ManhattanDeclaration.org)
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November 24, 2009
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DDW said:

	I would have to say This is just another sign that these United States is drifting further into becoming a pagan nation, a lapse for which the nation will pay dearly.
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November 24, 2009
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jeff hodges said:

	... wouldnt something have to be in it before you cry like a bunch of worthless christians
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November 25, 2009
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Jim Bowman Jr. said:

God and common sense What policy can be in place which at this point will not suffer from objections. How can we expect to please everyone? We are a Christian Nation, everyone knows that, even the supposed insulted. Please the majority and remain faithful to our Founding Father's beliefs. Anyone who cannot abide by those original intention can find another place to change. We changed our Country over two hundred years ago and it's a change that we can and should believe in. God Bless America!

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November 27, 2009
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Lee Gonzales said:

	Troll? You joined this site to say stupid things about people's faith?
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November 28, 2009
Votes: +2

PETER STEELE said:

My late father's warnings to Goldwater as a Taft Republican My late father warned his trusted friend and ally as a Southern Baptist what was going to happen - creeping socialism and communism. The Foundation for Economic Education knew my small family very well as Mayflower and Sons/Daughters of the American Revolution. I am going to kick out the godless UN, Communist Party, USA smd Socialist Party, USA of New York and save our great country. RADM Steele, USN my father said I did the best with what I had and am at peace with God when he died too young at 71. He earned his Valley Forge Freedom Foundation award well because he was an Americn Patriot. He spoke to the Daughters of the American Revolution warning that the Marxists here were going to destroy our capitalism and nation. I am praying very hard for America and I hope to God that Dad's work will to take hold and warn the American people what's to come. His warnings about Fidel Casto were not heeded and he registered his disgust with the Evil Empire as family friend Reagan call the former USSR and I considered Thomas J. Watson a CFR enemy of my family as he never cared about America. I warned the Soviets not to fire at us as we read Sohlsenitsyn who really did love his Russian people.

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November 28, 2009
Votes: +1