Why do Christians have no trouble swearing oaths?

Question

Jesus taught that his followers shouldn't swear oaths period.

Where's all that bright eyed frothing of the mouth support for this suggestion from the savior? He made this suggestion with the other suggestions like don’t lust etc…


Mat 5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’

Mat 5:34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;

Mat 5:35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.

Mat 5:36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

Mat 5:37 Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.




♥Blessed Be♥

You are correct Slave. I was married in by signing a document in Las Vegas. After I realized what this scripture said I quit taking oaths 13 years ago. How do I testify in court, or take public office, or join the military. It’s simple I don’t unless they wave the oath. The Pledge to the flag is an oath check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge
I’ll never say the pledge. So who’s with me or are you godly only when it’s about creation or abortion or homosexuality?

♥Blessed Be ♥

[preachershoe] What's my interpretation? Jesus speaks clear do not swear, there's nothing to interpret.

♥Blessed Be ♥

[TK421] So I suppose the part after it:

Mat 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies[fn9] and pray for those who persecute you,

Doesn’t mean to actually Love, and the part about Lust doesn’t mean to not lust.

I’m guessing that all the Love and turn the other cheek stuff is some New Age religion that you don’t participate in because I see most Christians going to war and supporting aggression and paying for the largest military that’s ever existed.
I see Christians that attack homosexuals all the time because of far more obscure passages than don’t swear.
It is obvious again that the Christian faith is a Cult that selectively chooses passages from a book inspired by the greatest pacifist in history to perpetrate violence on any they choose to dislike.

Your fail is a dirty rag, you have been weighed and found wanting, and for this God will laugh at your calamities. Those are the things I’ve told when I preach peace. As I’ve been judged so shall you be judged I forgive y

I forgive you but I bind you on earth and in heaven in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost. So mote it Be!

♥Blessed Be ♥

[single eye] I never saw any questions. I'd email you but your profile says you don't allow it. Ask anything.

Answer 1

Yes, many miss the true teaching. Like some tea? *sip*

Answer 2

Well Yeshua/Jesus knew that man would mechanically break them, since at best most are without consciousness and are reflexive provided the outer stimulus, this is the nature of man. So swearing to God and making promises does nothing, because an oath itself can't change ones predicament. Yeshua/Jesus knew that man were under specific natural organic laws.

The other side of this refers to the approval mindset of the pharisaic. The Pharisees in scriptures were an archetype, they were an allegory for a pervading reality that exist within the mind of man among those who are carnal minded. They would say an oath and believe that they would be justified by it, that such a thing in itself could win over God, it was done because they felt it pleased God. However what was required is that they seek the kingdom and instead of making oaths embody what they know and turn these things within themselves and live it. An oath is made under the delusion that man has control over their life, there is nothing that happens outside of the Father's will, live it or don't, anything else becomes a carnal ritual/tradition.

Answer 3

Many Christians DO have a problem with swearing oaths. In the state where I live, law recognizes the fact that many Christians do not believe in swearing oaths.

TITLE VI
PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
CHAPTER 92
TENURE AND OATH OF OFFICE IN CERTAIN CASES
Section 92:3
92:3 Affirmation in Lieu of. – If any person is conscientiously scrupulous of swearing, the word ""affirm'' may be substituted for ""swear,'' in the form of the oath; and the words ""This you do under the pains and penalties of perjury,'' instead of ""So help you God.'' Such affirmation shall, for all purposes, be and constitute an oath.

Source. Const. II, 84. RS 15:5. CS 15:5. GS 17:5. GL 18:5. PS 19:5. PL 18:5. RL 26:5.

So it is obvious that many Christians believe it is wrong to swear oaths.

On the other hand, your interpretation of Scripture is not correct.

Answer 4

Outside of court, I have never sworn an oath. I've made marriage vows, and if I know I can bring it to pass I'll make a promise, but I take that Scripture to heart and do not swear oaths.

I had to go to court once on a personal matter; I didn't sleep well for days before the hearing because I knew they were going to require me to swear on the Bible, which the Bible specifically says not to do!

I did end up swearing on the Bible, not because I had changed my mind but because I was weak and afraid of the consequences if my refusal to do so was considered an attempt to distract the court from the matter at hand.

I have since repented, and will never repeat what I did. I still get a stomachache when I think about it.

Answer 5

The enphasis of these passages is not in the first four but in Mat. 5:37. What Jesus is saying its better not to make an oath or promise anything that you know ur not going to be able to live up to. It is better to not promise and to live your life always keeping your word and not lying. If you promise soomething you bind your self your word; and if you break your oath the consequences are greater. You loose respect and trust from those around you and you are unable testify to Gods work in you because you by breaking you oath your testimony is compramised. It especially emphasizes oaths made to God; it is better to just do the right thing and promise nothing to God than to promise and fail God because if God held his part of the oath or agreement you are also entitled to hold your end of the agreement, which will bring consequences and punishment. SO IT IS NOT THAT WE CANT MAKE OATHS ITS JUST WE NEED TO BECAREFUL WHAT WE COMMIT OURSELFS TO AND TO GUARD OUR SELFS AND KEEP OUT INTEGRETY INTACT (BIG PART OF BEING A CRISTIAN). God made and oath/pact with abraham, jacob, issaac, David, Isreal. Ana made a oath with God to give her son in Gods service (1 Samuel 1) there are many instance in the bible of oaths taken, which means your interpretation of the scripture is intirely correct.

Answer 6

you know the Quaker Act, 1662? In order to fight the Quakers it was made a crime not to take the Oath of Allegiance. Of all the unusual things the Quakers did none irked the English government more than their refusal to take oaths. But that's 350 years ago, I'm sure that in the US you can affirm (promise without reference to anything supernatural and without the bible obviously) instead of swearing? If that gets you into trouble there is something seriously wrong.

Answer 7

This is not the doing of the Church, but the immorality and general scuzziness of a particular man who happened to be an Archbishop that abused his position. It is the few, rare jackholes like this one that make the news and shape opinions of Church officials, rather than the great majority who do good works and are genuine in their duties and calling. But yes, more than I'd like to admit, there are some truly insincere Church officials that are hypocrites to the extreme. I'm disgusted to know that ANYONE would do such a thing, let alone an Archbishop.

Answer 8

Gnostic, sweet lady, Did you just do a binding on someone? Be very careful, child when you do those kinds of things. You give THEM the power to do likewise to you, especially such an "open ended" binding. When you bind someone, you might be advised to bind them from doing harm to themselves and others, and follow it up with the proviso, "with harm to NONE, SMIB.". That would cover YOU, just in case you bound the person unjustly based on a misperception on your part. When you BIND someone else, you are binding YOURSELF to that person for the duration of the spell in order to protect THAT person from being harmed by others. Do you REALLY want to do that? It MAY have been better to just put a wall of portection between YOU and the person concerned that would absorb any harmful energy directed towards YOU from that person and let anyone else that he/she wishes to harm do likewise for themselves.

Let's chat about this tonight. I'll be on around 7 PM Central U.S. time. Maybe I can give you some advice as to HOW to go about rectifying the whole thing and still accomplish what it is that you set out to do.

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 9

yeah... i don't know. i don't get it either. i'm christian, and i don't even believe in making promises. lol. that's not so much a christian belief as personal one though. Jesus went on about not taking oaths, but then when we go to court, we put our hand on the BIBLE, of all things, and take an....??? i'm with you. i don't get it either. it doesn't make me mad or anything, it just kinda stumps me. i don't know what i'm supposed to say when i get married. i hope ''i do'' is enough. lol.

Answer 10

I have a question my good friend- when a couple gets married in the church isn't that like an oath? and then I would like to add that many of them get divorced! and that would be breaking an oath! Right????