Oaths, Pledges, and swearing

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Hey guys

I was talking to a friend of mine from college through email and he sent me these verses after I told him that I was a state Trooper:

Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one."

James 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.

Anyways, as a State Trooper, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State that I work in and to safe guard the lives of the citizens of the United States…

What is everyones thoughts on this? Are Law Enforcement positions only for non-Christians… This sounds so JW to me?

God bless
 
Roman_Catholic said:
What is everyones thoughts on this? Are Law Enforcement positions only for non-Christians… This sounds so JW to me?

God bless
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What if they passed a law saying Christians can’t preach on the streets, would you enforce it? If you don’t then you would have to break an oath you swore to God you would keep.

In such a position, if in court or whatever, I would refuse to swear to anything, but affirm that I would try to do what is intended.
 
Same with the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the God of Israel, not to some flag and government which claims to be under some mysterious and vague idea of a god.
 
FaithofAbraham said:
What if they passed a law saying Christians can’t preach on the streets, would you enforce it? If you don’t then you would have to break an oath you swore to God you would keep.

In such a position, if in court or whatever, I would refuse to swear to anything, but affirm that I would try to do what is intended.
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I would also break this oath if I were told to hurt my wife or family. Such an order like your example here is in direct conflict with the constitution which I swore to uphold.

Would this example really be considered upholding the US constitution which grants freedom of speech to its citizens?

What about the verse from Romans which talks about authority? I forget it off the top of my head. 🤷

I have no problems upholding the constitution and protecting peoples lives, my problem is simply the oath part of it.

Thanks for your response FoB

God bless
 
FaithofAbraham said:
Yeah you are supposed to obey police and laws and stuff, until that conflicts with belief in God.
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Found it 😉

Romans 13
LET every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God’s minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For therefore also you pay tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving unto this purpose.
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I am still concerned about the oath part.

God bless
 
Roman_Catholic, now i may be wrong here, but FaithofAbraham does not appear to be Catholic, by the way he lists his faith in his profile. I would post this in the ask an apologist section.
 
AdvanceAlways said:
Roman_Catholic, now i may be wrong here, but FaithofAbraham does not appear to be Catholic, by the way he lists his faith in his profile. I would post this in the ask an apologist section.
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I’m Muslim but he has already posted verses from Jesus telling us not to swear to oaths. So then we shouldn’t.
 
Q: Why is it acceptable for Catholics to say the Pledge of Allegiance? A Protestant friend has a problem with putting his hand on his heart and making an oath to a flag. Why does the Church say it’s acceptable to be a patriot as well as Christian?

A: Being a patriot is not in opposition to being a Christian. We don’t worship the country we love anymore than we worship the people we love. Because God comes first it doesn’t follow that no one or nothing can came second and third. Our Lord said to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Luke 20:25).
—Fr. Vincent Serpa

There is a full article about oaths explaing in detail but I can’t find it. However I do remember what the message was. As the above Catholic Answer reply states it is ok to take an oath. I’ll keep looking. In the meantime, taking an oath is ok as long as it doesn’t violate Christian principles.
 
ricko said:
Q: Why is it acceptable for Catholics to say the Pledge of Allegiance? A Protestant friend has a problem with putting his hand on his heart and making an oath to a flag. Why does the Church say it’s acceptable to be a patriot as well as Christian?

A: Being a patriot is not in opposition to being a Christian. We don’t worship the country we love anymore than we worship the people we love. Because God comes first it doesn’t follow that no one or nothing can came second and third. Our Lord said to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Luke 20:25).
—Fr. Vincent Serpa

There is a full article about oaths explaing in detail but I can’t find it. However I do remember what the message was. As the above Catholic Answer reply states it is ok to take an oath. I’ll keep looking. In the meantime, taking an oath is ok as long as it doesn’t violate Christian principles.
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allegiance 1399, from Anglo-Fr. legaunce “loyalty of a liege-man to his lord,” from O.Fr. legeance, from liege (see liege); erroneously associated with L. ligare “to bind;” corrupted in spelling by confusion with the now-obsolete legal term allegeance “alleviation.” General fig. sense of “recognition of claims to respect or duty” is attested from 1732.

liege a feudal vassal or subject.

feudal 1614, from M.L. feudalis, from feudum “feudal estate,” of Gmc. origin (cf. Goth. faihu “property,” O.H.G. fihu “cattle,” see fee). Related to M.E. feodary “one who holds lands of an overlord in exchange for service” (1387). Feudalism is a coinage of historians, first attested 1839.

overlord a person who is lord over another or over other lords: to obey the will of one’s sovereign and overlord.
So the question I would ask in all this is, if a republic is really just supposed to be shaped and ruled by you, why are you pledging allegiance – an oath of loyalty given to a feudal overlord – to it? What purpose does it serve to promise loyalty to yourself?

Or is it rather, that you are giving loyalty to a feudal lord of some sort, and that lord or body of lords is really the republic and you are just a subject to it?

republic a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
 
Some groups ‘affirm’ rather than swear oaths, specifically because of those and similar religious qualms. The Society of Friends is one such; the names of a few others are on the tip of my tongue (or fingers as the case may be) but I can’t get them off it :o
 
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