Muslim Congressman Will Not Swear On the Bible

[estesbob]

I find the choice of words rather intriguing.

Freudian slip?

 

[Fidelis]

I thought Jesus taught us not to swear at all?

**“But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven for it is God’s throne; nor by earth, for it is footstool; nor by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No’. Anything more is from the evil one.”

Mathew 5:34-37**

**Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them, "There shall be no more delay. (Revelation 10:5-6) **

 

[Valke2]

**Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them, "There shall be no more delay. (Revelation 10:5-6) **

It is one thing for an angel to swear an oath. It is another for a human. Because the chances of breaking oaths are so high, people should be discouraged from giving them.

 

[tundramom]

What exactly is your objection? That non-white non-Christians are allowed to inhabit your state?

No Imagine23. My only point was political. Probably not welcome on this forum. Sorry for the confusion.

in Christ
Steph

 

[jnderose]

side question: new catholic here. Is it wrong to swear an oath on the Bible?

 

[b_justb]

side question: new catholic here. Is it wrong to swear an oath on the Bible?

OATHS

An oath is licit, and an act of virtue, under certain conditions. It is, in effect, an act of homage rendered by the creature to the wisdom and omnipotence of the Creator—it is therefore an act of the virtue of religion; moreover, it is an excellent way of affording men security in their mutual intercourse. It is justified in the Old and New Testament; the faithful and the Church from Apostolic times to the present day have employed oaths; and canonical legislation and doctrinal decrees have affirmed their lawfulness. Improper use is often made of oaths, and the habit of swearing may easily lead to abuses and even to perjury. In counselling men “not to swear at all” (Matthew 5:34) Christ meant, as the Fathers and ecclesiastical writers explain, to be so truthful that men could believe them without need of oath to confirm what they say. He did not forbid the use of oaths under proper conditions, when necessary to satisfy others of our truthfulness.

Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

 

[AnneBOK]

Would those of you who think he should swear on a bible agree to swear on the Koran if you were in his position and were told that it was your noly option? I would sure hope not! All of us must stand up for our beliefs in situations such as this.

Anne

 

[DaveBj]

Doesn’t bother me what he swears on. Most oaths taken on the Bible aren’t worth the paper the Bible is printed on, anyway.

DaveBj

 

[Andruschak]

OK, boys and girls. Here it is again, and I hope this time you are paying attention. Here are the exact words in the Constitution…

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:–“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Got it? Affirmation is as good as an Oath. The Bible is nowhere mentioned. Now go do something useful, like pet a cat or dog:thumbsup:

 

[Valke2]

OK, boys and girls. Here it is again, and I hope this time you are paying attention. Here are the exact words in the Constitution…

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:–“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Got it? Affirmation is as good as an Oath. The Bible is nowhere mentioned. Now go do something useful, like pet a cat or dog:thumbsup:

We’re talking about a Congressman, not the President of the United States. Is there anything in the constitution about the swearing in of Congresspeople or judges? Probably not.

 

[Maria3m]

We’re talking about a Congressman, not the President of the United States. Is there anything in the constitution about the swearing in of Congresspeople or judges? Probably not.

Here’s what I found during my search about oaths for a discussion on another board…

The Constitution specifies in Article VI, clause 3:

*“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” *

and…

For other officials, including members of Congress, it specifies they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” At the start of each new U.S. Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, those newly elected or re-elected Congressmen - the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate - must recite an oath:

*I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God. *

It’s a very informative article & there’s more about judges.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office#United_States

Also, while trying to find information if Jews swear oaths & if so, on what…here’s one thing I found:

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) made headlines earlier this month when she could not find a Hebrew Bible for her swearing in; she refused the Christian Bible proffered by House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and eventually borrowed one from Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.).
(From here: jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/24751/edition_id/485/format/html/displaystory.html )

…and this (not the President or Congressman, but interesting)

Apparently, North Carolina had an issue with everyone needing to swear on a Christian Bible as well. This is from the Notary Public Guidebook for North Carolina.

*On page 90 of the eighth edition, it says: “A person taking an oath should place one hand on the Holy Scriptures. This book will vary depending on the person’s religious beliefs: Christians should use the New Testament or the Bible; Jews, the Torah or the Old Testament; Moslems, the Koran; Hindus, the Bhagavad-Gita; etc.” *

Yep, I’ve been looking.

 

[JohnWilliams]

Isn’t the whole notion of ‘swearing on a bible’ a protestant innovation? Just Curious.

Beyond core doctrine I doubt there is anything that can be ascribed to all protestant denominations. That being said there is an interesting verse to consider. Since I read this verse I haven’t been asked to swear anything. I don’t know at this point what I will do:

Jam 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

It may not prohibit swearing an oath, but certainly offers a warning. But it does say “swear not”.
Context: blueletterbible.org/kjv/Jam/Jam005.html#12

(Greek/English Interlinear (tr) NT) James 5:12 | pro <4253> {BEFORE} pantwn <3956> {ALL THINGS} de <1161> {BUT} adelfoi <80> mou <3450> {MY BRETHREN,} mh <3361> omnuete <3660> (5720) {SWEAR NOT,} mhte <3383> ton <3588> {NEITHER [BY]} ouranon <3772> {HEAVEN,} mhte <3383> {NOR} thn <3588> {THE} ghn <1093> {EARTH;} mhte <3383> {NOR} allon <243> tina <5100> {ANY OTHER} orkon <3727> {OATH;} htw <2277> (5749) de <1161> {BUT LET BE} umwn <5216> {OF YOU} to <3588> {THE} nai <3483> {YEA,} nai <3483> {YEA,} kai <2532> {AND} to <3588> {THE} ou <3756> {NAY,} ou <3756> {NAY,} ina <2443> {THAT} mh <3361> {NOT} eiV <1519> {INTO} upokrisin <5272> {HYPOCRISY} peshte <4098> (5632) {YE MAY FALL.}

 

[Valke2]

Here’s what I found during my search about oaths for a discussion on another board…

The Constitution specifies in Article VI, clause 3:

*“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” *

and…

For other officials, including members of Congress, it specifies they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” At the start of each new U.S. Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, those newly elected or re-elected Congressmen - the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate - must recite an oath:

*I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God. *

It’s a very informative article & there’s more about judges.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office#United_States

Also, while trying to find information if Jews swear oaths & if so, on what…here’s one thing I found:

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) made headlines earlier this month when she could not find a Hebrew Bible for her swearing in; she refused the Christian Bible proffered by House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and eventually borrowed one from Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.).
(From here: jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/24751/edition_id/485/format/html/displaystory.html )

…and this (not the President or Congressman, but interesting)

Apparently, North Carolina had an issue with everyone needing to swear on a Christian Bible as well. This is from the Notary Public Guidebook for North Carolina.

*On page 90 of the eighth edition, it says: “*A person taking an oath should place one hand on the Holy Scriptures. This book will vary depending on the person’s religious beliefs: Christians should use the New Testament or the Bible; Jews, the Torah or the Old Testament; Moslems, the Koran; Hindus, the Bhagavad-Gita; etc.**”

Yep, I’ve been looking.

Excellent! Thanks for the thorough response.

 

[JCPeacekeeper]

Just in case some of you did not know
The CCC states:

841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims.
“The plan of salvation also inclides those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the MUSLIMS; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

They say we believe in the same GOD, but Muslims deny that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

“Enter by the narrow gate(Jesus Christ); for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”

 

[JCPeacekeeper]

Good for him.

I will not swear on any religious text except a Catholic bible.

For me, swearing on a protestant bible, is swearing to an incomplete truth.

Are you aware that the only difference between KJV and a Catholic Bible is in the old testament. The Catholics added a few books in 1546, these books- the APOCRYPHA are not inspired by God. APOCRYPHA means hidden or hard to understand. It was put there to try and help prove that there is a Purgatory.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

townhall.com/columnists/DennisPrager/2006/11/28/america,_not_keith_ellison,_decides_what_book_a_congressman_takes_his_oath_on

Comments?

**I’d say he is right to take his oath on the Koran, & not the Bible - why expect him to venerate something that is inferior (from a Muslim POV) to the Koran ? Good for him. **​

And FWIW, I think Catholics should swear only on a Catholic or an ecumenical Bible approved for Catholic use - but not one that is not Catholic. **If we really must swear - Jesus & James both reject the practice. Catholics ought to be so trustworthy that our “yes” or “no” is enough ** ##

 

[Jennifer_J]

I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong but I think that the swearing in happens as a group, and then the whole Bible/Koran/holy book thing is the photo op later on, it has nothing to do with the actual swearing in.

Jennifer

 

[newarkmuskie]

I don’t see the big deal for him using a Bible actually. The Muslim faith says that we are “people of the book” and actually regard the Bible near to the value of the Koran. Also he can’t be that strict of a Muslim because I don’t think Muslims are technically allowed to swear by the Koran because they view the Koran as the “direct unaltered word of God” and is beyond oaths. For Jews, Christians and Muslims I see no reason for them not to be able to use the Bible, be it only the OT or both the OT and the NT.

 

[newarkmuskie]

Are you aware that the only difference between KJV and a Catholic Bible is in the old testament. The Catholics added a few books in 1546, these books- the APOCRYPHA are not inspired by God. APOCRYPHA means hidden or hard to understand. It was put there to try and help prove that there is a Purgatory.

This isn’t exactly true the apocrypha were actually considered canon long before the council of trent by many bishops and as such in many regions of the world, it wasn’t until Trent that they were officially made canon for the ENTIRE church. Also purgatory’s main proofs are in the authority of the church and the NT, not in OT scripture. They are certainly inspired by God and most don’t add anything substantial or unique to Catholic doctrine. The Catholic Church doesn’t subscribe to “sola-scriptora” anyway so it doesn’t officially NEED scriptural backing just not to contradict scriptural fact.