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That's Thomas Jefferson speaking back in the day in reference to whether his neighbor worships one god or 20.

In the NY Times the other day, Kenneth Davis wrote a rather entertaining (and informative) article about Michael Newdow's challenging, in front of the Supreme Court, the "under god" phrase in our Pledge of Allegiance. Put in perspective of what our founding fathers wanted for America, Jefferson, Madison & Washington would think Newdow, Da Man!

As Davis writes: "It was this concept ó that the government should neither enforce, encourage or otherwise intrude on religion ó that found its way into the godless Constitution in the form of the First Amendment. Even the presidential oath of office, which is laid out in the Constitution, does not mention the deity. George Washington ad libbed the "So help me God" at his inaugural ceremony. Every president since has added this personal oath. They choose to say it; the Constitution does not compel it."

Read Davis's entire essay re-posted on our site.

It's unfortunate, but the author, Kenneth C. Davis, doesn't always know his history. Current research by personnel involved with The Papers of George Washington at University of Virginia, and the First Federal Congress Project at George Washington University have stated, in agreement, there is no contemporary evidence that supports the "fact" of George Washington adding the phrase, "So help me God," to his Presidential oath.

It's really no surprise, but several Presidents are known not to have used this phrase during their Inaugural Ceremony, and, furthermore, the first corroborated instance of a President who uttered this tagline during his 1881 swearing-in ceremony is Chester A. Arthur.

It may be proposed that a President is free to add the words, "So help me God," to his constitutional oath of office, but the appendage of that phrase by a Supreme Court Chief Justice onto the oath is improper, because it clearly presents itself as an unconstitutional religious test of office.

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