Democrats in the Massachusetts state house want to take “God” out of the oath of office for every elected official in the Bay State.
The bill, proposed by State Representative Mindy Domb, would amend the state Constitution, the oldest in the country, from “so help me, God,” to a longer, secular version: “This I do under the pains and penalties of perjury.”
The measure was approved by the Joint Legislative Committee and is supported by atheists who believe invoking God violates the establishment clause and goes against America’s pluralistic history.
Zachary Bos, the state director for American Atheists, told The Meadville Tribune.”We support any move that helps to increase the government’s commitment to secularism,”
The bill would also amend the historic document, written by John Adams, to make it more gender neutral, changing the pronoun from “he” to “they.”
But conservatives say removing “God” is just the latest example of secular efforts to diminish the influence of religion in society.
Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, told News and Tribune, “It’s yet another cynical attempt to erase the rich legacy of faith that has been part of our Commonwealth form the Pilgrims to today,”
Since being ratified in 1780, the state constitution has been amended 121 times, a process that could take up to several years and requires approval from two consecutive legislatures before being cleared for a statewide ballot, to let voters decide.