Is it wrong to "swear an oath" to tell the truth in court? (Matthew 5:34–37)
Matthew 5:34-37 New International Version 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
You're not required to swear an oath to tell the truth in court. You are required to tell the truth in court. PERIOD! No requirement to take an oath; a requirement to answer truthfully.
There's no excuse for lying for any reason at any time. If a christian feels apprehensive about taking an oath, tell the judge. The judge will say, 'Consider yourself to be under oath,' because that's exactly what you are.
If the FBI comes to your home to question you, they won't bring a bible and ask you to put your hand on it before questioning you. If you lie to them you can be charged with lying to a federal officer, which is against the law. So this question is meaningless. If you don't think you should swear, then don't. It ain't the difference in anything.
Danny Hickman
When I joined the United States Army I was required to take the oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies whether they are foreign or domestic. If I had a problem in taking the oath I shouldn't have gone to the recruiter's office to join.
If I had been conscripted and I refused to take the oath, I should have then been prepared to face the consequences of my refusal, whatever those consequences might have been. I don't think I should expect the United States to bend the rules to suit me.
I don't think Jehovah would punish me for taking an oath to be honorable to my fellow citizens, but that's just my opinion. Maybe he would; I've had some good days and some bad days; maybe some of those bad days was because I swore to defend the charter by which we live. Maybe... but I doubt it...
Jack Gutknecht
I have gotquestion.org downloaded on my laptop as an app. S. Michael Houdmann says there about this verse, "Some have interpreted this to mean that a Christian should never take an oath for any reason, such as testifying in court. A witness is 'sworn in' raising his or her right hand (and sometimes placing the other hand on a Bible) and promising to 'tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.' However, the point of Jesus’ teaching is not that taking an oath in this manner is wrong. Taking a meaningless oath in order to create a loophole and retain the option of breaking it is wrong. If an oath is required in the course of civic duty, the Christian should have no problem making it. The proper application of Jesus’ principle of 'let your yes be yes' is that the Christian must be truthful in all circumstances."
Jack Gutknecht
I strongly believe that swearing on the Bible is a privilege and an honor. I think this practice should be continued. I served jury duty once and liked it!
"In many countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the reason why we swear on the Bible is to make a legal solemn oath.
"This means that if you lie while taking the oath, you can be charged with perjury, which is a crime.
"The punishment for perjury can vary depending on the country, but it can include a prison sentence.
"So, if you’re ever called to testify in court, think carefully before you decide to swear on the Bible.
"It’s not just a matter of telling the truth; it’s also a matter of obeying the law." -- Sister McCook
Danny Hickman
"Swearing on a Bible is a privilege and an honor."
I don't know about that... I'll take your word for it... I've never been asked to swear on a Bible.
When I was a kid we were forbidden to say, 'I swear.' I and my two brothers were instructed to say instead, 'yay yay nay nay.' True story!
We were soundly ridiculed ALL THE TIME when we did it in front of our friends. (I didn't grow up in a place where that kind of custom had a great following). I'm straight out of 'da hood.'
We were PKs; (somebody out there knows what I'm talking about) We were a little different... Being a PK is different for most children, but that's an understatement in some neighborhoods. It is in the one in which we grew up!
I can remember taking an oath only twice in my life; neither time was I required to touch a Bible. I was sworn in when I joined the United States Army, and I took an oath when I got married to Faye 49 years ago, as of this past June.
It was painless both times!
Like I said in an earlier post, you're not required to put your hand on the Bible to be put under oath in a courtroom in the United States. No one can demand that you do. Think about it: why should an atheist be required to swear on something he or she doesn't respect as being holy? That would be an assault on his/ her right to believe whatever they choose to believe. And some people object to "swearing."
Not to worry; the presiding judge says, 'consider yourself under oath,' and that's exactly what they are!
Jack Gutknecht
Danny, you had an interesting upbringing. Good response to my second comment, too.