So help me dog (or god, whatever!).

Simons,The way I see it, the "so help me God" thing is nothing but a relic from the past. I'm not religious, but I actually kind of like this little reminder of how old the tradition is. When people yell "Shotgun!", no one is implying that they are gonna carry a shotgun to defend from robbers. All they want to sit at the front passenger seat. The same with the oath. Its there to make it clear that you must tell the truth/be objective and if you are not there will be consequences. There really is nothing religious about it (even if some people chose to believe there is).The whole process is just a part of an old tradition. Kind of like the 7th inning stretch (7th?) or like an initiation ceremony in a secret society or a fraternity. Something that makes it more fun.
Surely it would be easier if there was no oath at all, but simply a document that you sign. It would be also easier if the judges didn't have to wear those priestly robes and use a gavel. They could just dress in a suit and use an electronic signal. But we keep doing it because there is something comforting about holding on to our past. The same reason why judges in England wear wigs.So I guess my point is that, to me, there is nothing offensive about it. Even if does offend some people, this God-fearing oath is the least harmful aspect of religion and not worth the effort of trying to change it, not yet anyway. Instead of trying to take God out of a courtroom statement, we should be trying to get "god" out of people’s hearts and minds. We should stop the perpetual cycle of ignorance and fanaticism in the society. Everything else will follow.Edited by Ragged, : Typos

Rrhain,The phrase can have a religious meaning, certainly. It all depends on your point of view. Some view it as religious, some get offended by it, some just take it as court procedure. The point is that no matter what you call it, the phrase has a specific secular purpose, to make a person aware of his/her responsibility. The only reason they still use words "so help me God" is because that's what has been done for centuries. Taking word "God" out will not make any difference. Believers will keep believing that they are under God, non-believers will keep non-believing. It will not change the degree to which the notion of god influences the government, composed of the people, some of whom are believers.It is my opinion that any attempt on removing it is bound to fail. There are just too many believers out there. Plus old traditions are hard to change, especially when God is involved. In fact trying to remove it only adds oil to religious fervor and gives extra strength to religious movements. It allows them to point fingers and play "catch the antichrist". That only leads to more of the same. The only way "God" can be taken out of everything governmental is if God stops being such an important aspect of people's lives. And that can only happen gradually, through education and such.