I think they're lying. And I think they know it.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Hell, I'll drink to that

Here's mud in your eye, buddy!!!!

Chas

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Not according to Chief Justice Roberts. His contention is that the oath automatically ends at the last official word and anything anyone says after that is apparently okay because it's not said as part of the oath.

John

You don't want to know my opinion of Roberts.

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by Boreas

No contemporary source or eye (ear?) witness confirms that.



Tradition. Remember all the wing nuts who said Obama was planning on taking his oath using the Koran? Obviously, he didn't but it would have been legal (Constitutional). So would just not using anything.

John

I would say that it would be a tradition - in a Christian country

Wiki says:

(snip) The phrase "So help me God" is explicitly prescribed in oaths as early as the Judiciary Act of 1789 for U.S. officers other than the President. Although the phrase is mandatory in these oaths, the said Act also allows for the option that the phrase be omitted by the officer, in which case it would be called an affirmation instead of an oath: "Which words, so help me God, shall be omitted in all cases where an affirmation is admitted instead of an oath." (endsnip)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of...help_me_God.22

So all officers under Washington used it, it was codified into law for them while he was President, therefore not unlikely he did say it? Although not proven.

Btw, how could that have been Constitutional, and doesn't it point to a Christian country - again?

And there's those radical Christians in the military. And the Judiciary! [edit: by direction of the Legislature]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I don't know, maybe he did. He was livid about it when he mentioned it to me.

John

Lmao!!

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

The phrase "So help me God" is explicitly prescribed in oaths as early as the Judiciary Act of 1789 for U.S. officers other than the President. Although the phrase is mandatory in these oaths, the said Act also allows for the option that the phrase be omitted by the officer, in which case it would be called an affirmation instead of an oath: "Which words, so help me God, shall be omitted in all cases where an affirmation is admitted instead of an oath." (endsnip)

That's what happens when people like you and me write wiki entries. It can't be mandatory and optional at the same time. Anyway, I was specifically talking about the Presidential Oath of Office, not Affirmation of Office, where the phrase isn't even listed as optional.

Btw, how could that have been Constitutional, and doesn't it point to a Christian country - again?

Nope. The fact that it's not mentioned in some oaths and optional in the rest tells you we're not a Christian nation. Plus, when it's used, the word is God, the same god the Jews and Muslims worship.

John

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Btw, how could that have been Constitutional, and doesn't it point to a Christian country - again?

What does the word "God" have to do with Christianity? Doesn't every mainstream religion worship some vision of God?

[piece-itpete]

I'm sure they meant Allah

Pete

[Fast_Eddie]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I'm sure they meant Allah

Pete

So, what you're really saying is not that we're a Christian nation, but rather, we're a non-Muslim nation. Is that it? Or English speaking nation? If you use the right word for God you're good to go, but if you use the wrong word you're out? It's basically a semantic deal. We'll keep them out on a technicality.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I'm sure they meant Allah

Pete

Muslims embrace "our" god. To them, Christians, Jews and Muslims are all "People of the Book", all worshiping the same god. Interestingly, Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet. They don't regard him as divine but they do honor him and his teachings.

John

[piece-itpete]

So, back when they taught the Bible in grade school, when they said 'God' they were talking about a god in general. Hmm.

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

So, back when they taught the Bible in grade school, when they said 'God' they were talking about a god in general. Hmm.

Pete

Guess that depends on where you went to school but here in America it was usually the God of the Christians, Jews and Muslims.

John