"Obviously, with the amount of e-mails and phone calls, it was the proper thing to do," Pearlberg said.
The Journal reported on the issue Sunday and it later received national attention by appearing on Fox News and other major media broadcasts and Web sites.
As the council was reviewing potential changes to the Marietta Police Department's operating procedures last week, Pearlberg commented on the police officer's oath of office, which asks them to swear to carry out various duties, ending the oath with "so help me God."
Pearlberg, a senior assistant district attorney, said it's been his experience in the courtroom that some citizens don't always want to swear on the Bible when taking the oath. To avoid losing future police officers, Pearlberg suggested the oath be revised to give officers the option to "affirm" rather than swear.
But Councilman Anthony Coleman, a pastor at Visions for Souls Church in Mableton, said the U.S. is a Christian nation and therefore the oath should remain as is.
"When people make a binding oath, they need to know how it lines up biblically with the word of God," Coleman said.
Further, Coleman insists Pearlberg suggested at Thursday's meeting that the "so help me God" phrase be removed from the oath.
Pearlberg said if he made that suggestion, it was unintentional since he doesn't oppose the God phrase, but simply wanted to give another option to police officers who may, for example, be atheists.
Mayor Bill Dunaway said Tuesday, "The whole thing got blown way out of proportion."
He and the City Council released the following statement Tuesday: "The Marietta City Council is not proposing to eliminate 'so help me God' from the oath of office taken by the city's police officers. The councilperson that initiated the discussion to consider adding an option to affirm has withdrawn the request. The oath of office remains unchanged and includes 'so help me God.'"
However, Smyrna resident Dr. Ed Buckner, president of American Atheists, a national organization, described Pearlberg's move to drop the revision as an "un-American lack of courage."
Buckner said Pearlberg was right to be concerned with the possibly of losing a police officer because he or she doesn't want to utter a religious oath, since "requiring any such oath is a plain violation of the First Amendment and of the U.S. Constitution, Article 6."
Buckner said it is also almost certainly a violation of the Georgia Constitution.
"Lawsuits regarding the matter could cost the citizens and taxpayers of Marietta significant money. More important than any legal or technical violation is the trampling on religious liberty-for everyone, not just atheists-that this represents. The city of Marietta, the county of Cobb, the state of Georgia, and the United States of America all lack the authority to make any religious decisions for any citizen," Buckner said.
"The mayor and City Council of Marietta should have the wisdom and courage to support the quintessentially American ideals of protecting minority rights and religious liberty. This is not, never has been, and should not be seen as a Christian nation. It is instead a free country. In freedom we trust," Buckner said.
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In addition, both Georgia and federal law provide for "oath or affirmation" for employees; why is this so onerous for Marietta?
You are right in the statement that there is a lack of authority to make decisions for any citizen.
However, the Governing Agencies, created by the citizens do have the authority to enter into CONTRACTS, and the employment of people to any office of Government is a contract. If the applicant for such a position does not agree with the terms listed in the contract, he / she should not sign said contract.(so help me, GOD)
If a person does sign the contract for employment within a Government Agency, they are then bound by the terms of the contract, and have no standing to bring action against any Agency that is a party to said contract.
THIS THE RULE OF LAW!!!!
Mostly this ignorant rant comes from a stupid self
centered joke. He can believe whatever he wants to, I would not want to be in his shoes. Just think Mr. If your well thought out plans are wrong
and there is a God, what will you do then? Why
do the majority have to obey the wishes a simple few. Nobody is asking an atheist to worship God, nobody is asking a policeman to worship anything
when they say "so help me God". Even atheists need the help of God. It's a dangerous job and
they need all the help in the world. Your asumptions that policeman are mostly atheist is absurb, Down right disrespectful. Christians
don't go around saying don't let those atheist have favor from God.!!!!
I am glad this came out, for now we know who our assistant DA and councilman really is.