Simons,
The way I see it, the "so help me God" thing is nothing but a relic from the past. I'm not religious, but I actually kind of like this little reminder of how old the tradition is. When people yell "Shotgun!", no one is implying that they are gonna carry a shotgun to defend from robbers. All they want to sit at the front passenger seat. The same with the oath. Its there to make it clear that you must tell the truth/be objective and if you are not there will be consequences. There really is nothing religious about it (even if some people chose to believe there is).
The whole process is just a part of an old tradition. Kind of like the 7th inning stretch (7th?) or like an initiation ceremony in a secret society or a fraternity. Something that makes it more fun.
Surely it would be easier if there was no oath at all, but simply a document that you sign. It would be also easier if the judges didn't have to wear those priestly robes and use a gavel. They could just dress in a suit and use an electronic signal. But we keep doing it because there is something comforting about holding on to our past. The same reason why judges in England wear wigs.
So I guess my point is that, to me, there is nothing offensive about it. Even if does offend some people, this God-fearing oath is the least harmful aspect of religion and not worth the effort of trying to change it, not yet anyway. Instead of trying to take God out of a courtroom statement, we should be trying to get "god" out of people’s hearts and minds. We should stop the perpetual cycle of ignorance and fanaticism in the society. Everything else will follow.
Edited by Ragged, : Typos