Keith Ellison (D) MN Is swearing to Uphold the Oath Of Office using the Koran Conservatives You're Feeling?

Question

Public servents on the national level swear an oath of office to uphold the Constitution Of The United States, The Bible is the most frequent book used but the Torah has been used and 4 previous office holders have not used any book, The conservative blogosphere is lit up in rage with one blogger stating the Bible is the ONLY book this Country cares about? Does this represent your view? In my opinion it's a just another way to inflame and continue to drive wedges between Americans, it's not like He's using the Constutution to swear oath to the Koran, it's the opposite, and I always thought Religious FREEDOM was a tenent this Country was founded on, so I'm really asking who's religious freedom matters everyone's or a select "chosen" groups?

Answer 1

I obey the Constitution. No religious test shall be required for holding any public office in the United States and the 1st Amendment guarantee of the free exercise of religion. In the name of obeying our Constitution, using the Koran is perfectly fine by me.

Answer 2

They don't take oaths on holy books. This is a non starter. " When he is sworn in as a member of the 110th U.S. Congress on Jan. 4, 2007, Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) will not take the oath of office with his hand on a copy of the Koran - or any other book, according to a spokesman for Ellison, the first Muslim ever elected to the House of Representatives. Ellison will not use any book during the ceremony, Dave Colling, who served as the Minnesota Democrat’s campaign manager, told Cybercast News Service. “Neither will any other member of the House,” Colling added, since “no one has ever taken the oath of office in Congress with a Bible, a Koran, a Torah or anything else.” Instead, the members of the chamber are sworn into office as a group, Colling noted. “They all raise their right hands and repeat the oath that’s prescribed in the Constitution.”

Answer 3

There is no requirement that any book be used at all. Custom and religious demographics have resulted in the bible being used most of the time . It's an important moment for the person entering office so it's appropriate for them to use a symbol of their own faith, not someone elses.

Answer 4

Despite what Pat Robertson would have you believe, this is a country founded not on Christian principles but on the principle of respect for each person's individual beliefs. Thus, if Rep. Ellison feels that an oath sworn on his religion's holy book is most meaningful, what possible reason could there be to make it less meaningful for him by making him swear on a bible?

Answer 5

The use of the Koran per se doesn't bother me. The political positions of Mr. Ellison are another matter.

Answer 6

It's not big deal.
Clinton lied to God with his hand on the Bible, and committed Perjury.
The only thing I don't like about it is that now many Democrats will want to use the Koran to swear on.

Answer 7

Like I said earlier I have a problem with the swearing in of anyone to public office by using a religious symbol.

Answer 8

Bush swore to support and defend the Constitution, so obviously we don't expect these guys to adhere to the oath anyway.

He's Muslim. SFW? Yet you have an idiot with a mic like Glenn Beck saying, "prove to me you're not working for the enemy." Does every Christian have to prove they won't start an inquisition?

Answer 9

Now we know where the terrorists are going to invade the US from the inside out - MINNESOTA.
Look up Ellison's political website & first thing you see is an essay on why the 6 imams were mistreated in his state.

Honestly, what the hell were the voters of that state thinking?

Answer 10

It's hard to believe someone will live by their oath when they said it while touching a book of lies.