Why I must speak out

America is a unique combination of thousands of cultures and belief systems. This fact is one of the things that makes us strong as a nation. It's also a reality denied by many Americans who put the promotion of their own selfish beliefs above other people's rights.

City council members in Marietta, Ga., will consider changing the oath of office that the city's police officers take so that recruits can swear to uphold the law without saying the phrase "so help me God."

This sounds like progress; a recognition that not all the city's police recruits are religious or that they may object to swearing on "God's" name and then allowing them an alternative. Predictably, the Mayor won't have it.

But a police spokeswoman says that to her knowledge, nobody has ever objected to saying those words, and the city's mayor promises he'll veto any change to the oath that removes them.

The Councilman (who's also the city's deputy assistant district attorney) who suggested the review is very open about it although obviously not too enthusiastic.

Pearlberg said the phrase should not be removed, but he said there could be problems with the oath if a police recruit is an atheist or not religious.

“I don’t think anybody should be forced to say anything,” he said. “I just don’t know what the alternative would be.”

Others aren't so charitable.

But another councilman, Anthony Coleman, who chairs Marietta's Public Safety Committee and works as a pastor at a church in Mableton, Ga., said he “adamantly” opposes any change to the oath.

“I just see no justification, I don’t care if the person is an atheist,” he said. “We’re a Christian nation.”

Apparently the Constitution of the United States and other people's rights aren't enough of a justification for him. So long as he's forcing people to swear to his god, he doesn't care about their rights. The fact that swearing an oath is meaningless in the first place or that an atheist swearing on a god he doesn't believe in is less than meaningless doesn't occur to Councilman Coleman. He just wants to hear those sweet, sweet words, uttered by as many people as can be forced.

Then there's the old "Christian nation" lie. Look, this is very simple. If the Founders had wanted to make this a "Christian nation" all they had to do is put it right there in the Constitution. "We the People of the United States, under the Divine Providence of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in order to establish a Christian nation . . ." Done. We're officially a Christian nation.

But they didn't do that. They understood what religious liberty meant. They understood that religious freedom ("of" religion and "from" religion) is an inalienable human right. That's why they wrote it into the First Amendment. And that's why there's a prohibition against religious tests for public office. Again, right there in the Constitution.

The Mayor and Councilman Coleman of Marietta, Georgia, not only don't understand that, they don't respect it either.

“In the eight years I’ve been mayor, there’s never been a problem,” he said of the oath. “I don’t think there will be any changes at all. If someone does not want to make that statement, I’m not so sure I want them on our police force.”

This is out and out bigotry. This sentiment not only disqualifies atheists, but also Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jehova's Witnesses and any other group who don't believe in a single "god" or who refuse to swear on their god's name.

Here's a message for you Mayor. There are atheists on your police force. Today. The fact that they haven't spoken out and objected to the statement probably means they fear for their lives if they make their "difference" known among the oh so tolerant Christians they work with. Christians who might not bat an eye at allowing an evil atheist cop to be hurt. It's a hard accusation, but it's been known to happen.

This is why we must speak out and publicize bigotry. This is why we must go to court to have our rights enforced. This is why the radical Christian right demonizes the courts in an attempt to prevent them from enforcing the civil rights of non-Christians.

I have hope that some day all Americans will understand and honor our Constitution and agree that all rights are worth defending, even if you don't share the other person's beliefs. But that day is not today.

That is why I must speak out.