by Krystal Greene

Created on: July 02, 2009

The Bible should no longer be used for swearing in purposes because it no longer holds the same meaning for people anymore. This nation was founded when people still had a strong belief in God and understood the use of the Bible as a symbol of an oath taken under God. People then also understood the real meaning of breaking this oath. Today, however, many people don't even know the real meaning of the word oath.

According to merriam-webster (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oath) the word oath has two meanings. The first meaning (1a) is "a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says". This is what our founding fathers had in mind when they instituted the tradition of swearing upon a Bible. To call upon God to witness the truth of what you say is a pretty big deal and comes with consequences when used lightly. The casual use of the Bible for swearing in without real belief and understanding in God is sinful whether you believe in God or not. This leads me to believe that the current use of oath in our nation falls under the second definition given by merriam-webster.

"An irreverent or careless use of a sacred name" is what the majority of us have been doing with our oaths. Even when the roman soldiers swore only by their sword, it held so much more meaning for them than the false oaths we take in the name of God. To prevent further material sin we cannot continue to use the Bible in a ceremony full of empty promises and lies. Until people become more human and moral it is inappropriate to assume that because they are swearing on a Bible they'll take the oath more seriously. They shouldn't be swearing at all.

Our Lord said "But I say to you not to swear at all: neither by heaven for it is the throne of God; nor by the the earth for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither do thou swear by thy head, for thou canst make one hair white or black." (Matthew 5:33-37).

We swear upon things so lightly these days. People swear on their family, whether they are living or dead. They swear upon their dog,their cat, their house. People often even swear upon themselves, essentially selling their souls. They swear upon anything they think they own, forgetting that everything comes from God and is not theirs to swear upon. The Bible itself says not to swear upon things, perhaps even itself, so what further argument is there?

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