Swearing on the bible, raise your right hand

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I can’t help but to agree with George Carlin on this. What in fact does swearing on the bible validate. To me it just seems like a form of idolatry.
However doesn’t it say in the bible its self, not to swear on anything,
Say yes if you mean yes and no if you mean no. Anything else comes from Satan.
I can’t help but to think this is an outdated terror system used by the government, and has absolutely nothing at all to do with Jesus Christ or the Heavenly father.
 
Swearing crept into the courts because of it’s regular secular usage elsewhere . The NT is opposed to swearing oaths at any time if it is read literally. Instead the scriptures say simply let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Now, the other side of the coin is that scripture also says call no one on earth father, yet we regularly do that. You must pull the correct meaning out of the passage. With oaths I think the passage means exactly what it says.
 
Jessup said:
I can’t help but to agree with George Carlin on this. What in fact does swearing on the bible validate. To me it just seems like a form of idolatry.
However doesn’t it say in the bible its self, not to swear on anything,
Say yes if you mean yes and no if you mean no. Anything else comes from Satan.
I can’t help but to think this is an outdated terror system used by the government, and has absolutely nothing at all to do with Jesus Christ or the Heavenly father.
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It has to do with the assumption that the person who is swearing on whatever book, holds what that book contains to be held at a value that would prevent the person on a moral level not to lie, to fulfill the duties of their office, that what they’re submitting to the court is true and not a false document, etc. When you swear, you’re actually swearing to God. Technically, the Bible isn’t necessary (at least for Catholics. I can’t speak for other Christians).

I used to work in the Criminal Justice System as a sworn peace officer, so I’ve had to swear on a few Bibles. I can tell you that many of my co-workers didn’t take it seriously. That said, most of my co-workers were non-religious and living sinful lives. I, on the other hand, fretted over what exactly it was I was swearing to when I was sworn in on my first day. Our oaths are rather vague, and confusing. It was something that I had to mention in Confession as part of the circumstances at times, in case I had committed sacrilege as well. I know I also took extra care when writing up legal documents to make sure everything was in fact true, and there was no “creative writing” which some people like to do.
 
Jessup said:
I can’t help but to agree with George Carlin on this. What in fact does swearing on the bible validate. To me it just seems like a form of idolatry.
However doesn’t it say in the bible its self, not to swear on anything,
Say yes if you mean yes and no if you mean no. Anything else comes from Satan.
I can’t help but to think this is an outdated terror system used by the government, and has absolutely nothing at all to do with Jesus Christ or the Heavenly father.
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“outdated terror system”?

Putting your hand on the Bible and raising your other hand while accepting an oath “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God” affirms the seriousness of your telling the truth in a court of law. Your oath is before man and God since your testimony may mean life or death for another man. If you don’t tell the truth, the court can charge you with perjury. God will judge you as He wills.

Peace,
Ed
 
edwest2 said:
“outdated terror system”?

Putting your hand on the Bible and raising your other hand while accepting an oath “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God” affirms the seriousness of your telling the truth in a court of law. Your oath is before man and God since your testimony may mean life or death for another man. If you don’t tell the truth, the court can charge you with perjury. God will judge you as He wills.

Peace,
Ed
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You shouldn’t be swearing on the bible or anything else. Swearing on the bible is mans attempt to show a forced truth by putting an object there for maximum impact. Courts provide other phrases such as “do you promise to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God” with no object present. Your answer is yes or no as scripture says.

Yes it has crept into our society as a normal occurrence but so have many things that are not techinically correct.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
It has to do with the assumption that the person who is swearing on whatever book, holds what that book contains to be held at a value that would prevent the person on a moral level not to lie, to fulfill the duties of their office, that what they’re submitting to the court is true and not a false document, etc. When you swear, you’re actually swearing to God. Technically, the Bible isn’t necessary (at least for Catholics. I can’t speak for other Christians).

I used to work in the Criminal Justice System as a sworn peace officer, so I’ve had to swear on a few Bibles. I can tell you that many of my co-workers didn’t take it seriously. That said, most of my co-workers were non-religious and living sinful lives. I, on the other hand, fretted over what exactly it was I was swearing to when I was sworn in on my first day. Our oaths are rather vague, and confusing. It was something that I had to mention in Confession as part of the circumstances at times, in case I had committed sacrilege as well. I know I also took extra care when writing up legal documents to make sure everything was in fact true, and there was no “creative writing” which some people like to do.
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No one including Catholics are bound by law to swear on a bible and I don’t think I’ve seen bibles used in such manner within the Catholic Church itself as a tool to force as a manner speaking another Catholic to tell the truth. I’m more interested at times wondering about those who use it in the secular world actually give a valued thought to the holy words contained therein. Like you I sworn on bibles before and watched those who whip it out from under a dusty counter not even looking at you while mimicking a standard quote: Do You Swear… while writing notes. Funny how that’s only time one hears God mentioned anytime in a court of law and then forgotten as fast as it is mentioned like some mindless haphazard mantra.

Given the fact the Our Father is stricken from many schools its somewhat surprising the secular courts still use the bible as a mere tool for swearing if they give any true regard or reverence period. I don’t swear on bibles. If asked to swear I swear by my own accord. If a priest asked me to swear on a bible declaring my truth I would.
 
Where do they even still do this in the US? I’ve testified in court twice and was sworn in without any object, and wasn’t even asked to swear to God.
 
i’m sworn in to testify in criminal courts as a regular part of my job, and this practice is alive and well in the great state of Georgia!
it is a practice i have never had a problem with in the past and still don’t see what’s wrong with it.
 
number2wilkins said:
i’m sworn in to testify in criminal courts as a regular part of my job, and this practice is alive and well in the great state of Georgia!
it is a practice i have never had a problem with in the past and still don’t see what’s wrong with it.
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My problem with it is this, Our Blessed LORD said a few words “let thy yes mean yes, and thy no mean no”. I would tell the truth for Our LORDS sake and not because Im terrorized or forced to.
 
number2wilkins said:
i’m sworn in to testify in criminal courts as a regular part of my job, and this practice is alive and well in the great state of Georgia!
it is a practice i have never had a problem with in the past and still don’t see what’s wrong with it.
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“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”
 
xixxvmcm85 said:
Where do they even still do this in the US? I’ve testified in court twice and was sworn in without any object, and wasn’t even asked to swear to God.
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Never saw one in a Colorado courtroom as far back as 1978.
 
number2wilkins said:
i’m sworn in to testify in criminal courts as a regular part of my job, and this practice is alive and well in the great state of Georgia!
it is a practice i have never had a problem with in the past and still don’t see what’s wrong with it.
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You guys run all the atheists and Buddhists out of Georgia, did ya?
 
Julia_Mae said:
You guys run all the atheists and Buddhists out of Georgia, did ya?
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😃 The disparity between states I find interesting. Maybe it’s a matter of historical affect? Georgia is much older than both (your) Colorado and (my) California.
 
From the article in post # 13:

“The Superior Court senior judge says that would violate a 228-year-old statute requiring courtroom oaths to be sworn with a hand upon the Holy Scriptures, meaning the Christian Bible.”

Peace,
Ed
 
edwest2 said:
From the article in post # 13:

“The Superior Court senior judge says that would violate a 228-year-old statute requiring courtroom oaths to be sworn with a hand upon the Holy Scriptures, meaning the Christian Bible.”

Peace,
Ed
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Wow. Surprised this hasn’t been found unconstitutional yet.
 
I thought you had to swear on bibles in court. Being if your on trial.
 
Jessup said:
I thought you had to swear on bibles in court. Being if your on trial.
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By the anecdotes offered in this thread, it seems like it depends on which state you’re in. Here in California you simply bring your arm to the square (without a Bible) and “Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”.
 
johnnyjones said:
“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”
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but what then do i do with CCC 2150: The second commandment forbids false oaths. Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one’s own truthfulness. An oath engages the Lord’s name. “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.” 81

and the paragraphs immediately following? hasn’t the Church spoken on this?🤷
 
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