God's Role in the Presidential Inauguration Is Disputed

Swearing-in ceremonies in the United States, be they presidential or in a court of law, are highly religious, and usually accompanied by phrases including some reference to God. This also applies to everyday life, as noted on the dollar bills adorned with the inscription “In God We Trust,” which was made popular as the national slogan around 1956. Now, with the presidential inauguration ceremony just a few days away, a group of atheists is suing Rev. Rick Warren and Rev. Joseph Lowery, who are to bless the ceremony to be held in Washington.

The group says that maintaining phrases such as “So help me God” is unconstitutional, and directly contradicts the First Amendment. They believe that it's not necessary for anyone to swear with their hands on the Bible, as, for some, that type of vow has no value whatsoever. They also argue the introduction of legislative differences between the church and the state in the constitution, as no such differentiation now exists.

The group, joining others demanding the same thing, considers that even the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all,” the pledge reads, but atheists say that the “one Nation under God” part is unnecessary and demeaning for people of other creeds, or no creed at all.

Rev. Rick Warren is to perform an invocation prior to the oath that Obama is to take on January 20th, after which the president will be asked to place his hand on the Bible and say the oath. Later, Rev. Joseph Lowery will execute a benediction of both the president and the nation, a thing that atheists think is in direct violation with each person's individual freedom of religion.

That's why they adopted this measure – of suing the two – in an attempt to legally prevent this from happening. Similar cases were seen in the past, when people asked that Christmas crèches be deemed unconstitutional, because they only represented one creed. The courts in charge deemed only some fit for display, because they also incorporated secular elements, such as plastic reindeer. It's doubtful that Obama will employ plastic figurines of former presidents during his inauguration.