ICC Note: The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently issued a letter of complaint regarding the language in a Wisconsin police department’s officer oath. The oath includes the phrase “dedicating myself before God,” which the FFRF has deemed unconstitutional according to Article 6 of the United States Constitution. Although the police chief has not yet responded to the complaint, the FFRF has requested that the words “before God” be removed entirely from the oath.

By Heather Clark

10/11/2016 United States (Christian News Network) – A professing atheist group has asked a Wisconsin police department to change the wording of its officer oath, which states that the individual will dedicate themselves before God to their work in law enforcement.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently sent a letter to the West Allis Police Department to advise that a “concerned local resident” had contacted them to point out wording in the police department’s code of ethics and oath.

“I will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God to my chosen profession … law enforcement,” it reads.

FFRF believes that citing God in the code and oath is unconstitutional because it could be considered a religious test for serving.

“Altering a mandatory oath to require West Allis law enforcement officers to dedicate themselves ‘before God’ is unconstitutional. There is no legitimate reason to add a religious phrase into a state-mandated secular oath,” its letter to Chief Patrick Mitchell read.

“Article VI of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from requiring any kind of religious test for an ‘office or public trust,’ which includes the position of police officer,” it said. “Officers who do not believe in God should not be forced to choose between swearing to a religious oath against their conscience or outing themselves as nonbelievers by refusing to recite the oath as written.”

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