‘Swear not at all’
Note to those in North Carolina and elsewhere who insist that oaths must be taken on the Bible only (“Court to hear question of oaths using Quran,” National Briefing, Jan. 17): “But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matthew 5:34-37)
Jesus himself expressly forbids the swearing of oaths, yet you would have us swear with our hands on his very words.
Mary Morris, Denver
If you must swear: Swear on my god. She exists outside the human brain. Only the human brain provides occupancy for all supernatural beings, delusions, that number in the millions. Swear as follows: "I swear to tell the truth and may Mother Nature open a crevice and swallow me if I tell a lie." Of course, my God, like all Gods will ignore you but you will not have offended superstitious nonsense.
Posted by Richard Grimes on January 25, 2007 12:25 PMSure sign that an argument is on weak ground: Insulting the opposite position without making an evidenced point. Despite the fact that I hold the Christian religion in low regard, I will help defend their point from cowards who have to use an alias to make their attack.
Posted by Geoff on January 25, 2007 05:28 PM