God and the Oath of Office

funnymatt,

Your comment shows a sincere lack of insightful thought. Just as you choose to refuse to vote for candidates who invoke religion, there are many others who look at faith as a significant determining factor. I can see your comment for what it truly is, and that is flame bait. Separation of church and state is not defined in the Constitution. Our founding fathers conceived of this nation as a place where everyone can choose to worship PUBLICLY and without persecution in the manner they see fit so long as it is within the confines of established law. There is nothing to prevent the President from saying his oath as he sees fit. It's shocking to me how many atheists are MORE intolerant than the religious and your comment, while probably not genuine, illustrates this point perfectly. The idea that you have freedom FROM religion over freedom of religion is erroneous. I don't know what you mean by true thinkers and philosophers as some of the greatest of these are religious as well, but the beauty of America is that everyone can contribute. The idea that any one group should be cast out or have their views sacrificed because of religious beliefs is the entire reason our country was established. Here is hoping that your comment was insincere at best...

FunnyMatt I pray for you and all that Don't believe that there is a GOD. You say this Country is lost because of the religious people. We are lost because you don't believe. He should and every official needs to say God and continue to pray for this Country. Remember evry Knee will bow and Every tounge will confess that Jesus is Lord. Even you.

All this mindless bantering about whether Obama should be able to say "so help me god"...like it makes any difference. There is no god, except the one created in people's minds. Humans have an uncanny and inate ability to belive in religions that just are not true. I've never met an truly honest and intelligent believer, cause if they were truly honest and intelligent, they wouldn't be a believer.

By the same token "sepeartion of church and state," is also a 20th century phenomenon. No where does the Constitution mention this phrase. This phrase was thrust upon us only recently by a liberal judiciary. The Constitioution merely says that we are free to worship in the religion of our choice.

The invocation of God or the divine power is our birthright that honors and glorifies the architect of this blessed life. His invocation at all levels of life reconnects and recharges our battery of life. One simply becomes alienated without asking the creator, the almighty who understands this life in its every step. Seeking him first is the key wisdom that diction this gift of life. The founding fathers connected to this key wisdom and succeeded as clearly invoked on dollar bill" In God we Trust." On our road to governance, we as one nation under God, lost the meaning and proudly became our own Excellencies and not attributing our source of progress and successes to the divine architect, God almighty. As a result, we divided, ruled and seek to be "either with us, or an enemy." Statements and actions like these are divisive in nature and proudly describe us as "Pharaohs." Once again, the compassionate and merciful God has granted us another chance to reconnect to him as one nation under God.

Just to clear up "Dave in NM" . I am not a christian or a part of any other religion.

IIt is everyone's right to pray where they want when they want. Atheists have no right to push their lack of faith on others.

Gretal, the are christian fundamentalists promoting terrorism towards this country are IN this country, which is most problematic. Simply see the abortion clinic bombers for examples. The country will continue to have problems until everyone gets religion completely out of politics- it quite simply doesn't belong. I'm an avid atheist (I would say a devout Atheist, but I'm not sure that term applies) and I refuse to vote for any candidates that invoke a mythical being as playing a role in their decision making process. The country is luckily becoming more secular every day, and I have hope that someday in my lifetime we will see a secular majority that can vote out all the religious nuts that currently run things and allow some true thinkers and philosophers to right this ship.

History has been and continues to be re-written. There never has been a "wall of separation" of church and state anywhere near the constitution. It is in a letter written to the Danbury Baptisits. In this letter the wall of separation is to keep the government out of the church - not the church out of the government. Notice I used the lowercase "c" in church. There is never to be a national Church.

This should be Obama's inauguration. In the interest of intellectual freedom and liberty in general, let him do what he wants. If he wants "so help me God," let him. If he wants prayers, let him. He's in charge. Let him exercise his authority. He doesn't need the advice of a journalist or anyone else on this matter.

Let him do what seems best to him on this occasion.

People need someone or something to believe in. Is there a higher being, who knows. The bible says there is but the bible has been translated many times and things get lost in translation, so who knows what is real and what is not. Having been raised a catholic I have been at both ends. I left the church because they couldn't or did not know how to answer my questions and I got tired of their demands. It is my believe if you believe in yourself you will be fine. You decide your live no one but you and if you want to be believe in something that is up to you. I dislike people who try and push want they believe on someone else, as far as I am concerned what ever you believe in god or not is a private thing and should be kept there. If BO what to say so help me god that is his choice not any one else's. It is his right not yours after all it is his day. Our founding Fathers and their following leaders added things into the speechs, or the oath of office, it is their choice. So what if you don't believe in Santa Claus or any of the others that is your choice but it is not your right to impose that believe on anyone else. You have the right to state your opinion and most of you have. I personaly don't care if he uses iso help me god and long as it stays out of the Office of the President or any other office. You believe in what you will and I will believe in what I wiill and leave everyone else to believe in what they want. As always just my opinion.

For our Brain Surgeon, you may have an IQ of 180, but if you belive in Satan, then you believe in God and you do know that he was cast out of Heaven, surley with that high IQ you know that one.. . Even Satan belives in God . Sometimes maybe we shouldn't brag about our high IQ when we're not so smart or up on what we call a religion. Bless your heart.
And for you Mendrol, intolerant and insulting, once again, why do you care, obviously your not very smart either, remember, you belive in nothing at all. so why would intolerant and insulting even bother, NOTHING is inflicted on a person that belives in NOTHING . My religious beliefs should bother any one that has no religion at all. Actually I think you people sit around on your duffs thinkg, ok, lets see if we can PO a person of faith off today. And you will, because if you think a person of religion will sit back and not defend their God, whom ever theirs is, you are wrong. Like is said, YOU BELIVE IN NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL, you continue to tell people of faith and file lawsuits on a daily basis, which should be against the law, what's the lawsuit about, NOTHING!! . No person of faith in Congress or our laws do should never effect you at all, or should I say it again, YOU BELIVE IN NOTHING, so "nothing" should bother you, none of the laws, none of the decissons made in the US, absoutely nothing.. you belive in nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.. you've said it a 100 thousand times. You proudly confess your religious beliefs over and over. You should have no rights in a court of law to complain about "nothing" when you belive in NOTHING. I think you actually do believe, or you would't you continue to be so defensive about NOTHING...See I can be defensive, I belive. I have a reason to be defensive or voice my opinion, I believe in SOMETHING..

That is what is wrong today in this world, everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off because they fail to acknowledge that their is a God. Then we wonder why this world is in such a mess.
I say leave God where he belongs in the oat.
Or for sure, there will be a terrible catastophe when we list expect it, and who will be there to protect us? The atheists?