just a thought

[asimplechord]

Only tangentially related to the election.

Brought on by Tom Brokaw's comment about how historical and profound it will be when Obama "puts his hand on the Bible" to be sworn in as the POTUS.

If citizens of the US have an unalienable right to practice whatever religion they choose (or to not practice, as the case may be), why are government oaths made on the Bible?

Wouldn't it make more sense to do it on... oh, I don't know, the Constitution, since that's what they're swearing to uphold?

Keith Ellison's (D - Minn.) decision to use the Koran at his swearing-in caused a furor, even though the copy he utilized was part of Thomas Jefferson's collection.

Out of curiosity, did Joe Lieberman use a Bible for his swearing-in?

Does our right to free expression of religion only apply to Judeo-Christian denominations?

Comments

[glendaglamazon.livejournal.com]

You don't have to swear on anything, and you don't even have to swear. It is written into the Constitution that you can affirm, just as you can in court. I believe the Senate is sworn in en masse, so they don't place their hands on anything, but Lieberman would, I assume, use a Torah (unless it would be too unwieldy?).

[fleurdeliser.livejournal.com]

I've wondered that myself for a while. :|

[mrs-batman.livejournal.com]

When making the oaths you can choose any religious text or a copy of the constitution. I think it makes the most sense to let the person swearing the oath to choose what will make their oath mean the most to them, so that they are more likely to uphold it. Our right to religious freedom does not entitle us to force religious people to become less so. It's a personal choice, and as long as atheists have the right to choose a non-religious text and the religious have the right to choose what means the most to them, I don't think there's really an issue.

[koshweasley.livejournal.com]

For me it doesn't matter what religion or book they put there hands on, but I think it would be more proper and meaningful if they put their hand on the Constitution. Just saying

[blushandrecover.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling that America will only be super-friendly for Judeo-Christians for awhile, mostly only for Christians. I've always wondered what I'd swear on if I had to for some reason. One of the atheist/agnostic groups' leaders was interviewed on Colbert, and she said she could swear on anything or nothing-- that what she was touching didn't matter, she just refused for it to be a Bible.