When I joined in '83, I swore an affirmation, on my honour (not honor). No-one made me swear on a Bible, or to God and it wasn't a big deal, even then.
I'm a big fan of the US, it has many qualities that I admire, but a small percentage of my American colleagues and friends can be quite fundamentalist when it comes to the 'God thing'. Just makes it harder to criticise the fundamentalists on the other side if you ask me.
Sun.