Final answer:
The statement that an affirmation is a non-religious equivalent to an oath and does not reference a Supreme Being is True. The U.S. Constitution and legal statutes allow affirmations to respect the secular nature of the state, thereby separating church and state and avoiding religious tests for public office.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that an affirmation is the legal equivalent of an oath but has no reference to a Supreme Being is True.
In the context of the United States, both the Constitution and other legal statutes acknowledge that individuals may have secular or non-religious reasons for not wanting to take a religiously framed oath. Therefore, an affirmation serves as a legally recognized alternative that allows an individual to solemnly promise to perform an action, such as supporting the Constitution, without invoking a deity or Supreme Being.
The directives specifying the requirement for an oath or affirmation confirm that the government operates on secular principles, thus providing a clear wall of separation between church and state, as detailed in the Constitution. This separation ensures that there are no religious tests or requirements for holding public office in the U.S., reinforcing the secular nature of the state. The essential matter is the commitment to support and uphold the laws and values as enshrined in the Constitution.