Oaths
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It is lawful for a Christian to swear an oath |
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The
Roman Catholic Church teaches that it is lawful for a Christian to swear an
oath. The Code of Canon Law says: ‘An oath, that is the invocation of the
divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless in truth, in
judgment, and in justice’ (can. 1199 § 1). The Catholic Encyclopedia confirms
the Code of Canon Law: ‘An oath is an invocation to God to witness the truth
of a statement. It may be express and direct, as when one swears by God
Himself; or implicit and tacit, as when we swear by creatures, since they
bear a special relation to the Creator and manifest His majesty and the
supreme ….. An oath is licit, and an act of virtue, under certain conditions.
It is, in effect, an act of homage rendered by the creature to the wisdom and
omnipotence of the Creator—it is therefore an act of the virtue of religion;
moreover, it is an excellent way of affording men security in their mutual
intercourse. It is justified in the Old and New Testament; the faithful and
the Church from Apostolic times to the present day have employed oaths; and
canonical legislation and doctrinal decrees have affirmed their lawfulness.’ |
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The
Anglican Church teaches the same thing, for it says: ‘As we confess that vain
and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ, so we
judge that Christian religion doth not prohibit but that a man may swear when
the magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done
according to the Prophet's teaching in justice, judgement, and truth’ (The
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, XXXIX). Seventh-Day Adventist Church also
teaches that it is lawful for a Christian to swear an oath, in that Ellen
White in the third chapter of Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessing stated: ‘The reason for this command is given:
We are not to swear “by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the
earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the
city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst
not make one hair white or black.” R.V. All things come of God. We have
nothing that we have not received; and, more than this, we have nothing that
has not been purchased for us by the blood of Christ. Everything we possess
comes to us stamped with the cross, bought with the blood that is precious
above all estimate, because it is the life of God. Hence there is nothing
that we have a right to pledge, as if it were our own, for the fulfillment of
our word. The Jews understood the third commandment as prohibiting the
profane use of the name of God; but they thought themselves at liberty to
employ other oaths. Oath taking was common among them. Through Moses they had
been forbidden to swear falsely, but they had many devices for freeing
themselves from the obligation imposed by an oath. They did not fear to indulge
in what was really profanity, nor did they shrink from perjury so long as it
was veiled by some technical evasion of the law. Jesus condemned their
practices, declaring that their custom in oath taking was a transgression of
the commandment of God. Our Saviour did not, however, forbid the use of the
judicial oath, in which God is solemnly called to witness that what is said
is truth and nothing but the truth.’ |
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Confutation |
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Jesus
Christ said: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall
not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to
you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by
the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by |
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James,
the Lord’s brother, confirmed the words of Jesus, saying: “But above all, my
brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth, or with any other oath.
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into
judgement” (James |
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In
the light of these Bible verses, we say that it is never right to swear. How
can someone swear to tell the truth at a given moment and thereby imply that
at other times he might not? A Christian tells the truth all the time! Thus
he does not need to swear he will tell the truth. The Bible makes the
judicial oath both unnecessary and wrong for the Christian. Let no one
deceive you with empty words. |