Swearing on the Bible is a carryover from English common law, and the oath-taking of Presidents is aped from the British coronation ritual.
When I read this letter (before seeing Garret’s post) my reaction was perhaps this is something that should be changed. Just because we’ve done something one way up until now hardly means we need to keep doing it. Swearing on the Bible (or the religious text of the person’s choosing, as is the case), the phrase ‘under god’ on currency, even the use of a chaplain to open Senate proceedings, all ought to go as part of a more complete (more perfect?) separation of church and state.
BillSaysThis 