George Phillies for President 2008 December 10, 2007

Phillies: I Will Swear My Oath on the Constitution, not the Bible»

In a courageous statement made earlier today at his home in Worcester, MA, Professor George Phillies, the front-running candidate for the Libertarian Presidential nomination, assured Americans that when he
takes his oath of office, his hand will be on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, not the Bible.

«When a President takes office, he should place his hand in one place: on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights he is swearing to protect. And then, having sworn to protect our Constitution, he should do so.»

His statement comes in response to a speech made Friday by Republican hopeful Mitt Romney, who said, «»When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God.»
«I don’t normally discuss my religious beliefs,» said Phillies. «The President holds a secular role defined by our Constitution.»

Referring to Romney’s statement that «Freedom requires religion,» Phillies replied, «Romney is totally wrong. Vast numbers of Americans are atheists or agnostics. Other Americans honor essentially every
faith known around the globe. I reject the demands of some Americans that our government should persecute other faiths and beliefs, for example by barring abortions or regulating which marriages are valid.
«I do not believe, as one of my Republican opponents does, that a particular religious work is ‘inerrant’ and trumps the Constitution.

Such a political belief about the place of the Constitution is unacceptable in a President of the United States, because it means he or she cannot be acting in good faith in taking the oath of office.

«Unlike Mr. Romney and his Republican religious extremist cohorts, I will protect and defend America, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, not proselytize for one faith or another. I will protect freedom for people of all beliefs by swearing on the very document that guarantees those freedoms.»

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Contact Information:

Carolyn Marbry, Press Director pressdirector@phillies2008.org
(510) 276-3216
George Phillies for President 2008 http://phillies2008.org