{"id":2103160,"date":"2023-11-19T10:59:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-19T15:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-cuts-so-help-me-god-from-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2023-11-19T11:01:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T16:01:32","slug":"blue-state-cuts-so-help-me-god-from-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-cuts-so-help-me-god-from-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue State Cuts &#8216;So Help Me God&#8217; from Oath Requirement Following Atheist Group&#8217;s Federal Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblue-state-cuts-so-help-me-god-from-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2103160&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Atheists Celebrate\u2064 as New Jersey Drops &#8220;So Help Me \u200bGod&#8221; Oath Requirement<\/h2>\n<p>A decision\u200b by New Jersey \u200bto eliminate the requirement\u200d for political candidates to sign an\u200b oath \u2064that\u200c included the phrase &#8220;so help me God&#8221; has \u200bbeen met with applause from atheists.<\/p>\n<p>However, some \u2064conservatives have \u2063expressed outrage \u200bover the \u2064move.<\/p>\n<p>Podcaster Ken Matthews, known for guest hosting for \u200cRush Limbaugh, summed up the\u2063 situation\u2063 with \u200ca \u200bprovocative tweet:\u200d &#8220;Communist\u200d Republic of New Jersey Kicks Out\u200b God Again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">COMMUNIST REPUBLIC OF New \u2063Jersey (CRNJ) KICKS OUT GOD AGAIN. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5W8TSYUMzx\">https:\/\/t.co\/5W8TSYUMzx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 KenMatthews (@KenMatthews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KenMatthews\/status\/1725947001802535009?\">November 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">New Jersey drops religious oath for political candidates<\/p>\n<p>On a \u200bfederal level, while many oaths to serve \u2063in \u200dgovernment include the \u200cphrase &#8220;so help me, \u200bGod,&#8221; others \u2014 most notably the presidential oath of office \u2014 do not require\u200b it.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OjjsO25mId\">https:\/\/t.co\/OjjsO25mId<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Real America\u2019s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealAmVoice\/status\/1725952011320087042?\">November 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u200crequirement was \u200cdropped in late October\u200b after an unbeliever \u200dfiled a federal \u200dlawsuit against the New Jersey Secretary of State.<\/p>\n<p>James Tosone, \u200ca 70-year-old Bergen County\u2062 resident who \u200cwants to run for congress, filed \u200cthe federal suit Oct. 3 with the help\u2064 of the \u200dFreedom From \u2064Religion Foundation, which boasted that, thanks \u200bto \u2063its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-drops-1-5-million-on-transgender-programming-for-inmates\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Drops .5 Million on \u2018Transgender Programming\u2019 for Inmates\">successful legal battle<\/a>, the state &#8220;is becoming markedly more\u2064 inclusive.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The suit claimed \u2063that the requirement\u2063 violated the First\u200b Amendment rights of Tosone, a self-described &#8220;nontheist.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While Mr. Tosone previously completed the candidate petition in order to participate in past elections, he now sincerely believes, \u200bas a matter of conscience, that he cannot\u2063 swear &#8216;so help me \u2064God,'&#8221; the lawsuit said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By requiring \u2063plaintiff to swear &#8216;so help me\u2062 God,&#8217; in order to\u2064 run for \u2064public office, without a secular option, the\u2064 secretary of state has inflicted, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon (Tosone),&#8221; it continued.<\/p>\n<p>NJ.com said a state elections specialist \u2063advised Tosone to contact legislators to change the state statute.<\/p>\n<p>That evidently\u200b happened, because on Oct. 24, a \u2062memo went out from Lauren Zyriek, acting director\u2064 of the New\u2062 Jersey\u2064 Division of Elections, to all county clerks, advising\u200b them of several changes in the statute.<\/p>\n<p>Petitioners for placement\u200b on a ballot now have the \u200boption &#8220;to make a solemn affirmation\u200b or declaration in lieu of an \u2062oath,&#8221; according to the memo.<\/p>\n<p>Prospective\u200d candidates, according to the statement, can either choose to use the secular-leaning phrase, &#8220;I &#8230; do solemnly, sincerely and \u200btruly\u2063 declare and affirm&#8221; or they can use the more traditional, &#8220;I &#8230; do declare, in the presence of Almighty God, the\u2062 witness of the truth \u200bof what I\u200b say.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In addition,\u2062 in the affirmation\u200c or declaration, the words &#8216;so help me\u200c God&#8217; shall be omitted,&#8221; the memo added.<\/p>\n<p>Tosone&#8217;s\u2064 attorneys filed \u2062a motion to dismiss the suit\u200b Monday, \u2063and a judge signed a dismissal order the\u2062 next day, NJ.com reported.<\/p>\n<p>Not every public office in every\u200d state has historically required a &#8220;so help me God&#8221; type of\u2062 oath for candidates filing to run, or\u2063 for those being sworn into office.<\/p>\n<p>Many areas do so,\u200c Just the News reported, but others, &#8220;most notably the presidential oath of office \u2014 do not\u2063 require it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The outlet \u200badded that Donald Trump and Joe Biden have both \u200bchosen to use the phrase when taking\u200d their oath of \u2063office.<\/p>\n<p>In doing so, they were following a tradition believed to date back \u2063to President Abraham\u2062 Lincoln&#8217;s inauguration\u2062 in 1861.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3>A Note from Our Founder:<\/h3>\n<p>Every morning, we at The Western Journal wake up and pursue our mission of giving you the important information you need about what&#8217;s happening in America.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>We can&#8217;t do that without\u200d your help<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>America has been on the receiving\u200c end of false narratives. The\u200c purpose of these false narratives\u2064 is to make you feel powerless. The Western Journal empowers you by breaking these false narratives.<\/p>\n<p>But I \u200bwouldn&#8217;t be honest with you today\u2063 if I didn&#8217;t \u2063let you \u200cknow that the future of\u200b The Western Journal is in jeopardy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>without your help<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Silicon Valley and the \u200dBig Tech tyrants have done everything they can to put The\u200b Western \u2064Journal out of business. Our faithful\u200d donors and subscribers have\u200d kept us going.<\/p>\n<p>If \u200cyou&#8217;ve\u200b never chosen to donate,\u2064 let me\u200d be honest: \u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>We need your \u200bhelp today<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Please don&#8217;t wait one minute. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>Donate right\u2064 now<\/b><\/a>  \u2013 our\u200c situation in America is\u2062 dire. If you would rather <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\">become a WJ member<\/a> outright, \u2064we would \u200bwelcome that \u2063too. Our country hangs by a thread, and The\u200d Western Journal stands for truth in this difficult time.<\/p>\n<p><b>Please \u200dstand with us\u2064 by donating today.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Floyd \u200cG.\u2064 Brown<br \/>\nFounder of The\u2062 Western Journal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/blue-state-cuts-help-god-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit\/\">Blue State Cuts &#8216;So Help Me God&#8217; from Oath Requirement Following Atheist Group&#8217;s Federal Lawsuit<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the controversy surrounding\u2064 New Jersey&#8217;s decision to\u2064 remove religious language from political oaths raise questions about religious freedom, inclusivity, and \u2064the separation of church and \u2063state,\u2063 and what \u200bimplications might this have for other states\u200b in the \u200cfuture<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200c Epend on\u200b the mainstream media to do the work for \u200dus<\/b>. Journalism is a dying\u200b breed. We are not. So, we invite you to join us in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-cuts-so-help-me-god-from-oath-requirement-following-atheist-groups-federal-lawsuit\/\" title=\"Blue State Cuts 'So Help Me God' from Oath Requirement Following Atheist Group's Federal Lawsuit\">keeping independent journalism alive<\/a> \u2062and free.<\/p>\n<p><b>You can help support our newsroom by \u2063making a donation<\/b>. As \u2062the\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-gop-field-has-a-trump-dilemma-that-the-latest-indictment-has-only-made-worse\/\" title=\"The GOP field has a Trump dilemma that the latest indictment has only made worse\">political landscape continues<\/a> to change, active \u200band informed citizens like you are needed now more than ever to ensure\u2062 that the truth is being told. <b>Please consider making a \u200bcontribution<\/b>. We truly \u2063appreciate your \u200dsupport.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>The decision\u2064 by \u2063the state of New\u2062 Jersey to remove \u2063the requirement for political \u2063candidates to include\u200d the phrase\u2062 &#8220;so help me God&#8221; in their oath \u2063has been met with approval\u2064 from \u2062atheists. However, it has \u200dalso sparked outrage among conservatives \u2064who view it as an affront to religious values.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2064controversy began \u200dwhen \u2062James Tosone, a self-described\u200d &#8220;nontheist&#8221; who wanted to run for congress, filed\u200c a federal lawsuit against the\u2063 New \u200bJersey Secretary of State. Tosone argued that the requirement violated\u2064 his First Amendment rights as he believed he could not swear an oath that \u200cincluded reference to God. With the help \u2064of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Tosone successfully challenged the requirement, \u200cleading to its elimination \u2064in late October.<\/p>\n<p>The move has \u2062been \u200dseen \u200bby atheists as \u200ba step towards inclusivity\u200b and religious neutrality in \u200dpolitics. The Freedom From Religion Foundation hailed the decision as a \u200bvictory for \u200dthose who believe in the separation of church and state.\u2064 They argue\u2062 that the \u200dinclusion \u200bof religious language in political\u200c oaths excludes and marginalizes those\u2063 who \u200bdo not subscribe to a\u2063 particular faith.<\/p>\n<p>However, conservatives have \u200dcriticized the decision, with some \u2064labeling it\u2062 as an attack on religious freedom. Podcaster Ken Matthews,\u200d known for his guest\u2062 hosting on the Rush Limbaugh show, referred to New Jersey as the &#8220;Communist Republic&#8221; and accused \u200cthe state\u200b of &#8220;kicking out God again.&#8221; Such sentiments highlight the \u200ddeep divide between those who believe in the importance of religious values \u2063in government and \u200bthose who advocate for a \u200cstrict separation of church and state.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u200d worth noting \u200bthat while many oaths at the federal level include the \u200dphrase &#8220;so help me God,&#8221; others, such\u200c as the presidential oath of office,\u2064 do not\u200c require it. This suggests\u2062 that the inclusion of religious language in political oaths \u2062is not a universal practice \u2062and varies from state to state. However,\u2062 the controversy \u2064surrounding New Jersey&#8217;s decision highlights \u2062the sensitive nature of the issue and the strong emotions it \u2063can evoke.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the removal of the requirement for political candidates in New Jersey to\u2064 include the \u2064phrase &#8220;so \u200bhelp\u200b me God&#8221; in their oath is a significant \u200bdevelopment that reflects the ongoing debate\u200d over the role\u2062 of\u200c religion in politics. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-sues-irs-over-information-released-by-agency-whistleblowers\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden files lawsuit against IRS for disclosure of information by agency whistleblowers.\">raises important \u2064questions<\/a> about\u200b religious \u2062freedom, inclusivity, and the \u200bseparation\u2064 of church and state. As New Jersey \u200cmoves \u200btowards a more secular approach, it remains to be seen how other \u200bstates \u2063will respond and whether this decision \u200cwill \u200cset a precedent \u2064for similar changes in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Atheists celebrate as New Jersey removes the &#8220;so help me God&#8221; oath for political candidates. Yet, conservatives are furious. Ken Matthews, a podcaster and former guest host, labels it as the &#8220;Communist Republic of New Jersey Kicks Out God Again.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2022,"featured_media":2103161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2103160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2022"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2103160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2103160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2103161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2103160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2103160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2103160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}