The Myth of Swearing an Oath Upon the Bible

Representative-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected into Congress, has stirred controversy over his desire to replace the Holy Bible with the Quran at his swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C. This presents an opportunity to question the very notion of representatives taking an oath of office with their hand placed upon a Bible. And, no, this is not an issue about the separation of church and state, although a case could be made for that. It’s not even about whether non-Christians should be required to swear upon the Christian Bible, even though a case could be made for that as well. But because the loudest voices raised against using the Quran in this manner are coming from those proclaiming to represent the Christian faith, it is necessary to point out that, ironically, Christian doctrine – coming directly from the lips of Jesus – unequivocally forbids the entire swearing-in ceremony itself.

In these passages, found in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 33 to 37, Jesus refers back 1,200 years earlier to a law establishing that people who make an oath to God are obliged to honor it. (The law he refers to is found in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 30, 2nd verse). Taken alone, that 1,200-year-old law, which pre-dates the Christian era, would provide the ethical framework from which to structure the swearing-in ceremony found today in courtrooms and the halls of Congress. But Jesus makes a radical break from this tradition and introduces us to a concept so liberating, yet so personally challenging that we have yet to embrace it 2,000 years on. Jesus said that we should not make oaths at all, especially to God. We should simply let our “yes” mean “yes,” and our “no” mean “no.” That is: say what you mean, mean what you say; let your word be good, and binding, at all times. And this, perhaps, is the most difficult standard for each of us to live up to, yet our emotional and spiritual growth is conditioned upon walking that narrow but clearly defined path.

Keith Ellison is welcome to replace the Bible with the Quran because oath-taking might actually be a tenet of his religion, but it is antithetical to Christian doctrine. Even Christian members of Congress are welcome to swear an oath to God on the Bible, regardless of the teachings of their faith. That is their business, but it becomes the business of others when, in the name of Christianity, people hypocritically hurl invectives at Representative-elect Ellison. It is an embarrassment to those who read the Bible and struggle to put its messages into practice, especially at a time when the Muslim and Christian faiths are so at odds with each other throughout the world.

I would also remind our public servants that there is nothing patriotic, or Christian, about swearing an oath to God to uphold the laws of the United States Constitution and then engaging in political corruption, cover-ups, double-speak, innuendoes and lies. The act of taking an oath – as separate and distinct from all other times – trivializes the immensity of the spiritual experience that can be found in every conversation we have with every individual we meet, at every moment in our lives.

Representative-elect Ellison approaches his swearing-in ceremony in the quiet dignity befitting his position and his faith. Will the same be said for the other members of Congress?