Oaths are Satanic!

[eclipsoul]

"But I tell you, do not swear at all... anything more comes from the evil one."
- Matthew 5:33,37

"But above all, my brothers, do not swear."
- James 5:12

Catholic baptismal promises:

Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God's children?
Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?
Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

Yet according to the world, these questions are meaningless. If the world
were asking us these questions, they would ask differently:

Do you swear to reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God's children?
Do you swear to reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?
Do you swear to reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

Men and women place their hands upon the bible, and take oaths they are
forbidden to take, swearing to perform duties they are forbidden to perform.

How can this be?

 

[PaladinValer]

Do not swear falsely.

 

[seebs]

It really is just "do not swear". We haven't the power to make oaths true; all we can do is declare our intent.

 

[ChristianMuse]

People would like to make others believe how important their word is by swearing by "something". It is usually by something they have no power to change (and in some cases have no right to pledge). I give an oath to perform something then I (swear) bind it to something unchangeable. This is what Jesus said about the practice.

Matthew 5.33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

You have power over your own word. Let your own word be enough.

 

[eclipsoul]

Do not swear falsely.

Which translation are you using? I don't think I've come across one that says
"do not swear falsely." Instead, it is always, "do not swear at all."

 

[LITB]

Let your yes be yes and your no be no...

 

[mrcrow]

Let your yes be yes and your no be no...

the book of oaths..the swear book.. in the uk which is used by the legal profession has two types of oath or swear
the biblical...i swear by almighty god etc
the statutory..i swear i will tell the truth and if i dont i get canned hard by the judiciary...etc

the first one has a note...this oath is to be considered binding even if the taker is not a christian nor has any belief in god..

christians take the second.

 

[Strong in Him]

But in this context, what do we mean by swear? Is it not to promise? So is it wrong to sing "O Jesus I have promised to serve you to the end"? If we pledge our lives to the Lord or resolve to give up a bad habit, is that wrong?Would using the word promise in these vows instead of swear make them any less binding?

 

[InnerPhyre]

To swear an oath is essentially to say that you're a liar, because if you weren't, your word would be enough. I think that's the heart of the issue. If someone is trustworthy, I don't need him to swear an oath to me. Just to give me his word yes or no.

 

[eclipsoul]

But in this context, what do we mean by swear? Is it not to promise?...Would using the word promise in these vows instead of swear make them any less binding?

That's a good question.

What is the difference between a promise and an oath? Is there one?

 

[mrcrow]

That's a good question.
What is the difference between a promise and an oath? Is there one?

promise ...A verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future

oath ...Affirming the truth of a statement; to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury

really imo in scriptural terms you neednt swear by heaven or earth as it may be possible you wont keep the intention to do what you swear by..and dont promise god anything...he knows you better than you do yourself.

 

[Beta-guy]

using the context that eclipsoul used, the word promise to should be used to describe what an oath is, that's it. Are we to promise nothing? Please correct me if I misunderstand but I've always considered and oath as a promise.

 

[mrcrow]

using the context that eclipsoul used, the word promise to should be used to describe what an oath is, that's it. Are we to promise nothing? Please correct me if I misunderstand but I've always considered and oath as a promise.

it is if it is qualified by some parameter such as a penalty for not keeping it
oaths in court if broken earn perjury penalties

i understand a promise to be based on your own integrity
and oath is relevant to the wording of it...and the placing of the promise on anothers integrity or involvement...

but if you promise to do something in the name of say jesus or god..dont trip me up here with the trinity please...then you are making an oath in some respects..

oaths are taken as weighted more than promises...imo

 

[S Walch]

God made promises to Abraham and others, so if promises are the same as oaths and oaths are from the Evil one, wouldn't that make God evil?

As God can't be evil, yet Oaths are, then promises and oaths are definantly not the same thing.

 

[Rafael]

I've always thought that oaths and promises made are judged by how they are made. If an oath is spit out in anger and proud haste, would that be different from the oath that is given in humility and made as a prayer asking for the strength to accomplish a task? I think so, and God surely knows the heart of a man's actions.

 

[eclipsoul]

I think, perhaps, that this is the difference:

A promise is a promise to do something.
An oath is a promise to tell the truth.

What do you think?

 

[Conservative Mennonite]

A promise is a promise to do something.

Huh? You can't define a word by using that very same word or another form of that word.

 

[MrJim]

Since Jesus said "do not swear [an oath] at all" and it doesn't mean don't swear an oath, what does it mean? Is there a "secret" meaning behind it?

Do you swear to tell the truth...

Do you swear to uphold and defend...

Again, "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no', 'no'. For whatever is more than that is from the evil one"

 

[Sphinx777]

An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath.

A person taking an oath indicates this in a number of ways. The most usual is the explicit "I swear," but any statement or promise that includes "with * as my witness" or "so help me *," with '*' being something or someone the oath-taker holds sacred, is an oath. Many people take an oath by holding in their hand or placing over their head a book of scripture or a sacred object, thus indicating the sacred witness through their action: such an oath is called corporal. However, the chief purpose of such an act is for ceremony or solemnity, and the act does not of itself make an oath.

There is confusion between oaths and other statements or promises. The current Olympic Oath, for instance, is really a pledge and not properly an oath since there is only a "promise" and no appeal to a sacred witness. Oaths are also confused with vows, but really a vow is a special kind of oath.

In law, oaths are made by a witness to a court of law before giving testimony and usually by a newly-appointed government officer to the people of a state before taking office. In both of those cases, though, an affirmation can be usually substituted. A written statement, if the author swears the statement is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is called an affidavit. The oath given to support an affidavit is frequently administered by a notary public who will memorialize the giving of the oath by affixing her or his seal to the document. Breaking an oath (or affirmation) is perjury.

 

[SummaScriptura]

Let your yes be yes and your no be no...

Put some clothes on!