Must Atheists Trash Religion?

[MineralMan]

144. There has been dispute about such oaths.

As you say, the Constitution is clear. As of this time, nobody enlisting in the US military is required either to swear the oath or acknowledge any deities. An affirmation of any oath is fine. Previously, there were some local officers who tried to insist on swearing and "so help me God" in such oaths. At the time I enlisted, I took the oath of enlistment at an induction center in Los Angeles, and the officer administering the oath explained that affirming the oath and leaving out "so help me God" was fine.

The Pledge of Allegiance was written without "under God" in it. That was added in the 1950s. Nobody has to say that. In fact, nobody is required to make that pledge at all. That is supported by a SCOTUS ruling.

As far as declaring oaths in courtrooms, there have been some variations in the past, and some states have not recognized an affirmation as valid. As far as I know, however, that practice has ended on a national basis, as has the requirement of placing one's hand on a Bible.

There are lots of misconceptions about such things. There have been a number of court cases on this oath-taking business. The principle of non-religious affirmations is pretty much universally accepted at this point. For me, it has never been an issue at any time when I've been asked to take an oath. I simply have declared my intention to affirm, rather than swear, all such oaths, and that has always been accepted without argument.