January 22, 2009

Obama: First President Not To Swear On The Bible

After the initial cock-up on Inauguration day where Chief Justice John Roberts tripped over what is arguably the most important collection of words in American history - prompting Obama to do the same - it was decided that the oath should be taken again. This time behind closed doors amidst a select few reporters and officials in the white house map room.

The retaking of the oath went without a hitch and Obama was successfully sworn in, a second time, as president of the United States Of America. But this time he done it without his left hand on the bible.

Obviously this is not that much of a big deal and the second taking of the oath was just, as the white house lawyer put it, "out of the abundance of caution". But it is refreshing to see that Obama doesn't attach much important to religious pomp and ceremony.

it is not known if "so help me god" was crow-barred in at the end like it usually is which renders an otherwise poetic and powerful oath jitterly and awkward.

7 comments:

  1. LBJ was sworn in on Air Force One after JFK's assassination. No bible was around. He was sworn in on a book of common prayer.

    Teddy Roosevelt, taking office after President McKinley's assassination, was not sworn in on a bible.

    And I believe John Q Adams was sworn in on a book of constitutional law.

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  2. lol...Anonymous, you're taking away from Matt's happy moment of shoving it in the face of all those god fearin' readers.

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  3. When I take my oath, I'm going to do it on a stack of phonebooks. Everyone there exists and you'll know where my loyalties lie.

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  4. Okay Matt, first off, "First President Not to Swear on The BIBLE" is an inaccurate statement. When Obama stood before our nation he placed his left hand on the BIBLE. The "do over" was declared unneccesary, just an extra step of precaution. The fact that you are digging so hard to defame the BIBLE makes it sound like you have nothing better to do than try to bring people down and I bet you could find something better to do with your time! But I hope that God blesses you anyway!

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  5. Did he have to say "cross-my-heart and hope to die...stick a needle in my eye"?

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  6. Didn't Herbert Hoover 'affirm' rather than swear because he was a Quaker?

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  7. President Franklin Pierce - I am not sure if he used the Bible or not, but he also affirmed rather than give an oath, I think the story was he felt God had already judged him by the death of his son.

    Amonite

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