December 27, 2006
Swear
It is more or less common that when we people take vows, we often use some symbol — an item or a phrase — that is apparently of importance and value to us, perhaps in order to validate the vow-taking. It may be casual, just a few words, such as “I swear by my sainted mother’s grave…” Or it may be of covenantal significance, such as, “With this ring, I thee wed…”
Often, this is done by placing one’s hand on a copy of the Holy Bible and making a vow, something like, “so help me God.” Witnesses at a courtroom trial are asked to do this when they promise to testify and to tell the “whole” truth, not, I suppose, just a convenient part of it. Elected or appointed officials usually do this when they are installed into office.
One can never really be sure whether “so help me God” may be a plea for divine assistance in the keeping of the vow or just an effort to convince the audience of the vow-taker’s sincerity or possibly both. Actually, one cannot be certain at all whether the person even believes in the God from whom they seek help, whomever that may be. There’s not usually any exam to find out, although the subsequent behavior of the oath-taker can frequently suggest some kind of answer about the degree of sincerity.
I don’t recall anybody when taking an oath ever being asked whether or not or how much they believe in the Bible or what translation or whatever the Bible stands for or whatever parts they might exclude. I don’t recall anybody being asked whether they practice either of the religions the Bible represents or how much or how little if they do. It’s just done, that’s all, and then we observers can presume, if we presume, whatever we choose about their keeping of the promise.
So along comes an elected congressman up in Minnesota who says he is a Muslim. It is reported that he plans to take his oath of office with his hand on the Holy Qur’an. So what else might we expect? Now this doesn’t mean necessarily that he is a practicing, dues-paying member of Islam or not, and since we never seem to ask that question of people who swear on the Bible it seems altogether consistent that we not ask such a question of the Muslim in Minnesota. Like the people who swear on the Bible, so far as we’re concerned, he can actually believe whatever he chooses. It’s the Cowboy Way.
On the other hand, a lot of people have for some reason got their nose out of joint that this Minnesotan wants to swear into his elected office on the Holy Qur’an. I’m not exactly sure why they’re all the sudden so concerned. What if it were the Manhattan telephone book? It sure might get a smile out of Ma Bell, for one can always check the veracity of that symbol and how widespread is our agreement about it and the sincerity of our practice.