I do solemnly swear....
Some people, honest to God, seem to go out of their way to find something to get in a lather about. For instance, there was talk recently that newly elected Muslim congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota might take the oath of office on the Quran. You might have thought it was the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths all over again. Grown men swooned and got the vapors at the prospect.
Geez. Why would you insist on making somebody swear on a book that doesn't reflect their beliefs? That's just goofy. It would be like asking Joe Lieberman to be sworn in with a copy of the Gospel of Mark.
An oath sworn on what is most precious and holy to you is presumably an oath you take seriously. So, let's get a grip here. We do not live in a Christian nation. We live in a secular nation with a lot of believers.
As it turns out, the official swearing in of the new House of Representatives is done en masse, just the way we members of Troop 7 used to take the Boy Scout Oath in the basement of the Presbyterian Church in Woodbury when I was a lad.
By the way, it seems to me the Bible itself isn't very big on swearing oaths anyway.
So, lighten up. It's the season for it.
Geez. Why would you insist on making somebody swear on a book that doesn't reflect their beliefs? That's just goofy. It would be like asking Joe Lieberman to be sworn in with a copy of the Gospel of Mark.
An oath sworn on what is most precious and holy to you is presumably an oath you take seriously. So, let's get a grip here. We do not live in a Christian nation. We live in a secular nation with a lot of believers.
As it turns out, the official swearing in of the new House of Representatives is done en masse, just the way we members of Troop 7 used to take the Boy Scout Oath in the basement of the Presbyterian Church in Woodbury when I was a lad.
By the way, it seems to me the Bible itself isn't very big on swearing oaths anyway.
So, lighten up. It's the season for it.
posted by Michael Riley at 10:04 AM
5 Comments:
will they have to re-word the pledge of allegiance to "one nation under Allah"?
Margaret: The United States is, at least as far as the Constitution is concerned, a secular nation. And thank God for that. Only a truly secular nation can assure the freedom of religion we enjoy. State religions get moribund: the Church of England, or nuts: middle eatern theocracies or say the United States of Pat Robertson and James Dobson. It may be because of the First Adment that communities of faith in the U.S are robust.
Margaret, try selling "the under God" part to the legions of atheists in our country, who also fall under a "secular nation" ,along with the rest of us who believe in some type of God,Allah or other higher authority..like it or not, we are as diverse as we are alike.
Merriam Webster Dictionary definition of SECULAR- Not overtly or specifically religious. And yes-that is the principle that we are founded on.
We're a secular nation?That's news to me.According to the Founding Fathers,we have certain inalienable rights endowed by our creator,not any government.Also,read the first amendment again.The Founders did not take God out of the town square judicial activism on the United States Supreme Court did.
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