Swearing on the Bible

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I tried to look for prior threads on this - my second time actually - and I am surprised no one has asked this, at least not that I can find.

So why don’t we have a problem swearing on the bible in front of a judge, when the bible says don’t swear on anything?
 
CSN said:
I tried to look for prior threads on this - my second time actually - and I am surprised no one has asked this, at least not that I can find.

So why don’t we have a problem swearing on the bible in front of a judge, when the bible says don’t swear on anything?
Click to expand...
When I have testified in court I have never had to “swear on the Bible”…
*If you don’t believe in God, or if you don’t swear (for religious or other reasons), you have the right to affirm, or give an affirmation, that you will tell the truth. This just means that the swearing official (usually a court officer or clerk) will ask you if you affirm, rather than swear, that your testimony will be true. Some courts forget to offer this option; don’t fret - you may feel free to tell the judge or official, “I will affirm.” *
njlawnet.com/njlawreview/testifyingincourt.html
 
Well, that was easy.

But doesn’t that make the whole swearing process irrelevant?

Those who believe in the bible would not swear by it, so the only ones who are left are those who don’t believe/understand it…
 
Before my marriage was blessed by the Church, our Priest had a meeting with my wife and I. He had us both swear on a bible as to being able to marry each other. At the time I felt uncomfortable, and he said that he was sorry but had to do it by state law. Tim
 
CSN said:
I tried to look for prior threads on this - my second time actually - and I am surprised no one has asked this, at least not that I can find.

So why don’t we have a problem swearing on the bible in front of a judge, when the bible says don’t swear on anything?
Click to expand...
This topic seems to be addressed in the 2142-2155*Catechism of the Catholic Church, *, in its discussion of the Second Commandment, especially in 2153-2154:
2153 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained the second commandment: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all. . . . Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”(82) Jesus teaches that every oath involves a reference to God and that God’s presence and his truth must be honored in all speech. Discretion in calling upon God is allied with a respectful awareness of his presence, which all our assertions either witness to or mock.

2154 Following St. Paul,(83) the tradition of the Church has understood Jesus’ words as not excluding oaths made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). “An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless in truth, in judgment, and in justice.”(84)
(82) Matthew 5:33-34, 37; cf. James 5:12.
(83) Cf. 2 Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 1:20.
(84) Code of Canon Law, canon 1199 § 1.
 
I think we must not take any verse in the Bible out of context.

As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the Word of God. i.e. by living its “teachings” we will be led to the “Fullness of Life”. The Bible is a Pointer leading us to God and is NOT God.
We Worship the One God - NOT the Bible.

We must not use the name of the LORD our God in vain. i.e. on anything - swear in the name of God.

On the other hand, my interpretation is that when in court, there are always 2 Parties to the Case. Hence the Judge must ascertain the TRUTH. - Both sides have their say hopefully they are TRUTHS.

Hence, if you are a believing Christian, by swearing on the bible , what you are actually saying is that “I believe in God and I am saying what is the TRUTH before God. and may Gud, judge me, if I don’t tell the TRUTH but speak lies in its Presence on such a serious matter”. So I don’t see anything wrong as Christians to sware by the bible in the Court of Law.

If one want to be fundamentalist in everything then the Chief Judge should not be call “My Lord” since there is only one LORD and God alone, “Father” should not be called because we have only one Father in heaven.

Rgds.
 
You might find some of Scott Hahn’s books informative on this subject of Oath Swearing. He says that swearing an oath just for personal gain is wrong, but that in some situations it is right since you need God’s help in what you are doing.
(Lawyers and Jurors, people joining the military, Doctors politicians). But just saying something like, “I really mean it, I swear to God I do.” is the wrong usage of oath swearing.
Jesus will not answer the high priest until he is ordered to answer under oath.
Matthew 26:63-64
But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
So the Bible doesn’t condemn all oath swearing, just the wrongful use of oath swearing.
 
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