Swearing into office

[ghost_stalker]

WASHINGTON — Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, will use a Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson during his ceremonial swearing-in on Thursday.

FOXNews.com - First Muslim Elected to Congress Will Use Koran Owned by Thomas Jefferson During Swearing-In - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum


I know that the US has been using the Bible to swear in it officials. Now they are allowing people to use their religious books to swear into office. What would happen if an atheist were elected to power. would he be required to swear on some book?

[ByaKya]

Quote by: ghost_stalker FOXNews.com - First Muslim Elected to Congress Will Use Koran Owned by Thomas Jefferson During Swearing-In - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum I know that the US has been using the Bible to swear in it officials. Now they are allowing people to use their religious books to swear into office. What would happen if an atheist were elected to power. would he be required to swear on some book?

Why would you make a muslim swear on a bible, the "swear" wouldnt even be valid for him.
and some jews have sworn on the torah, you mad about that too?

[ghost_stalker]

Quote by: ByaKya Why would you make a muslim swear on a bible, the "swear" wouldnt even be valid for him. and some jews have sworn on the torah, you mad about that too?

I don't think swearing on a religiously significant item should be a requirement (?) for swearing into office. But my question was if an atheist were to be elected to office would he have to swear on a religious book?

[RickSp]

Quote by: ghost_stalker FOXNews.com - First Muslim Elected to Congress Will Use Koran Owned by Thomas Jefferson During Swearing-In - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum I know that the US has been using the Bible to swear in it officials. Now they are allowing people to use their religious books to swear into office. What would happen if an atheist were elected to power. would he be required to swear on some book?

The official swearing in of the Representatives is done in a group and uses no book on which to swear. Only private, unnoffical ceremonies use a book. Which book is used is the choice of the swearer. There is no Constitutional requirement for any book, flag or banner. One commentator recently wrote that if he was elected that he would use Emerson's "Self Reliance". Another chimed in that his preferecen would be "The Joy Of Sex."

All the noise being made by Fox and the other rightwing-nuts is bigoted blather.

[Cephus]

Quote by: ghost_stalker I don't think swearing on a religiously significant item should be a requirement (?) for swearing into office. But my question was if an atheist were to be elected to office would he have to swear on a religious book?

It is completely at the preference of the person doing the swearing, any book can be used or no book at all. It's like being in court, they used to use a Bible, but now do not, simply because it's a worthless relic of a bygone era. Today, swearing on a Bible is just a tradition, it means nothing.

[Jimmy the Pro]

Quote by: RickSp The official swearing in of the Representatives is done in a group and uses no book on which to swear. Only private, unnoffical ceremonies use a book. Which book is used is the choice of the swearer. There is no Constitutional requirement for any book, flag or banner. One commentator recently wrote that if he was elected that he would use Emerson's "Self Reliance". Another chimed in that his preferecen would be "The Joy Of Sex." All the noise being made by Fox and the other rightwing-nuts is bigoted blather.

Thank you for pointing out what I was about to rant about...no need for the rant now.

Yet another reason why I do not watch Fox News nor do I pay attention to Limbaugh (s/p?)

[RickSp]

Irony in the Keith Ellison story

Let’s give a big round of applause to The Washington Post’s gossip columnists, Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, for cornering an ironic bit of religion news Wednesday regarding the swearing in of the first Muslim in Congress. The irony of the story was not fully fleshed out, which is a pity because there is plenty of it. Here’s the crux of the Post story: Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he’d take his oath of office on the Koran — especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values. Yet the holy book at tomorrow’s ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We’ve learned that the new congressman — in a savvy bit of political symbolism — will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Now, Goode happens to represent the district that contains Albemarle County, the location of Jefferson’s birth. How’s that for ironic? Goode apparently didn’t feel like commenting for this story, which is not surprising considering the reverence that Virginians generally feel for President Jefferson.

[Epistemologist]

Quote by: ghost_stalker FOXNews.com - First Muslim Elected to Congress Will Use Koran Owned by Thomas Jefferson During Swearing-In - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum I know that the US has been using the Bible to swear in it officials. Now they are allowing people to use their religious books to swear into office. What would happen if an atheist were elected to power. would he be required to swear on some book?

Actually congressmen (and women) aren't required to swear in with a book. Most just do it as a formality for publicity.

[Osborn F Enready]

I think they should put it in writing, and make them ALL swear in to support the Constitution with their hand ON the Constitution.

Keep all the religious crap out of the public office.

I don't put a representative in office to serve God, BEFORE me.

I have no problem with religion when people keep it private, but there is no need for a bible, or any other religions book in the ceremony at all.

If they want to bring religion in to it, they can go home and do it with their hand on the religious text of their choice in front of their family, the only people that should give a damn about a politicans religion.

But, thats my two cents.