With the Presidential inaugeration coming up soon and Michael Newdow’s invocation suit recently dismissed, perhaps we all need a little reminder that not only is the phrase “so help me God” not in the official oath as written in the Constitution, but the claim that George Washington set the precedent of adding it in there is probably a myth. The History News Network posted the following piece debunking these myths:

“So Help Me God”: A George Washington Myth that Should Be Discarded

The article also contains the following nice little nugget of information worth keeping for later reference:

Joseph Story in his Commentaries on the Constitution, first published in 1833, explained why the clause banning religious test oaths was included. Its main object, he wrote, was “to cut off forever every pretence of any alliance between church and state in the national government. The framers of the constitution were fully sensible of the dangers from this source.”

Unfortunately, cutting that alliance off forever is yet to be seen…

And as Obama has clearly stated, he wants to say the phrase regardless of whether or not the Chief Justice is permitted to prompt Obama with it. But it is the fact that the Chief Justice will also utter the phrase that is the most troubling (and was the object of Newdow’s suit), because it makes it sound like an official part of the oath even when it is not. And yet, the judge who dismissed the suit is certain that atheists are disliked in this country because we bring it on ourselves. Well, if standing up for what is constitutionally correct makes one unpopular then so be it.