George Washington adding under God to the Presidential oath

[Volokh, Eugene]

I've heard various people mention that George Washington added
so help me God to the constitutionally prescribed, which is I do
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of
President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability,
preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Some use it as evidence for the propriety of religious references in
government affairs; others stress that so help me God isn't actually a
part of the official oath, and the frequent inclusion of so help me
God is the Presidents' own detour and frolic.

Here's my question:  In the late 1700s, did people who said
oaths (as opposed to affirmations) routinely include so help me God or
some such, simply because that was seen as a natural part of oaths?  If
so, then it might be that the Framers naturally expected that those who
see an oath as a religiously significant matter would include so help
me God.

Eugene
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So Help me God

[Katherine Tate]

I can't answer with any authority Volokh's question about adding So
Help Me God to oaths in swearing-in ceremonies,
but I felt compelled to comment nonetheless. The So help me
God embellishment is frivolous only to agnostics and
atheists. 
For weak-willed believers, it probably has real meaning (but it probably
won't help), and for strong believers, the So help me God is
likely added only to publicly acknowledge
God's role in the world.

Katherine Tate
Professor, Department of Political Science
and African American Studies
4177 Social Science Plaza Bldg A
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-5100
phone: 949-824-1869
fax: 949-824-8762
http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=3222term_list=tate


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