Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
That was cool.
I can see a Jewish president before a Muslim president. I definitely can't see an Atheist or Wiccan president.
To answer your question, that may be based on two things:
Is swearing in on the Bible a written/required part of the process?
Is it the Bible as literature or the Bible as a religious document? What do they do in a court of law where the person is Muslim, etc. and there is swearing on the Bible?
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The way it's outlined in the Constitution (Article II, Section I), the President doesn't have to take the oath on a Bible; the Constitution just gives the wording of the oath (it doesn't include any language about "God" or other supreme being) and no other guidance.
I'm guessing that using the Bible is just tradition, and that the President wouldn't need to swear on the Bible if he or she did not want to do so.
ETA: For the court proceedings I've seen (trials and hearings), I haven't seen a Bible used; the witness just had to raise their right hand.