What Book -- and Who Decides?
Dennis Prager is 100% correct. Keith Ellison should take his oath of office on the Bible, as scores of elected officials before him have done -- whether they believed in it or not. If we wants to swear on the Koran, as well, he should be welcome to do so; even so, there's a real value and a real reason to ask people who are swearing to uphold a governmental system that reflects Biblical values to incorporate a Bible into their ceremony.
posted by LadybugUSA at 9:17 AM
4 Comments:
That is a tough one. But not that tough. I don't see many representatives upholding the 10 commandments. Or even respecting our laws (built upon the basic truths of the Bible). They all seem to be there for personal ego and selfishness. Okay, maybe I'm too cynical to say "all". It's been a frustrating year politically...
WOW - I am forced to disagree with BOTH Carol and Dennis. However, given our system I can!
As I see it, the oath is a declaration of faith. As a Jew I would ask for a Tanach (Jewish Bible) Not as any slight to the Christian belief system, but as an affirmation of my own.
If a Muslim asks for a Koran, I would let him. If an Animist asks for the Tibetian book of the dead - so be it. It's the character of the individual that matters, not the book that his/her hand is laid upon.
But that's as YOU see it, and the practice is not based on how the subject sees it, but on how the country sees it. At present, the country sees the current practice as the epitome of a binding oath. This is how we've always sworn oaths in this country. It's the standard by which we've always adhered. One is always free to lobby for change, but until that change is ratified, one must, in order to be sworn into office, play it "by the book", so to speak, by laying the hand on the Bible. It is our way, our culture, and American culture takes precedence in American business.
But, MA - I don't think that the actual book that is being usedis germaine. Granted I would have major problems with using Mein Kampf or Das Kapital. However we are trivializing millians of Muslims who find comfort in the Koran.
The fact that the Islamo-fascists distort the Koran is unfortunate, but inconsequential.
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