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Brythan
Brythan
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  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakinglymistakenly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a preferedpreferred state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent legal invention - though based on writings of Jefferson, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion-in-any-state-affairs. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a meaninfulmeaningful distinction between this and "Separation" concept, and would list them as the same thing.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, the US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual repercussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent legal invention - though based on writings of Jefferson, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion-in-any-state-affairs. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a meaninful distinction between this and "Separation" concept, and would list them as the same thing.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual repercussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakenly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a preferred state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent legal invention - though based on writings of Jefferson, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion-in-any-state-affairs. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a meaningful distinction between this and "Separation" concept, and would list them as the same thing.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, the US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual repercussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

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user4012
user4012
  • 93.3k
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  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent legal invention - though based on writings of Jefferson, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion-in-any-state-affairs. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a meaninful distinction between this and "Separation" concept, and would list them as the same thing.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual reprecussionsrepercussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent invention, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual reprecussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent legal invention - though based on writings of Jefferson, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion-in-any-state-affairs. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a meaninful distinction between this and "Separation" concept, and would list them as the same thing.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual repercussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

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user4012
user4012
  • 93.3k
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  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 2d1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent invention, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual reprecussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 2d amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent invention, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual reprecussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

  1. Because USA is not a secular country (e.g. the way France was). You seem to mistakingly equate/conflate the distinct concepts of:

  • "Freedom of religion" (which is what 1st amendment is about), meaning the government may not establish a prefered state religion or discriminate people for their faith.

  • "Separation of church and state" (a concept NOT found in the Constitution, and a much more recent invention, implying that government may not touch anything related to religion even if that would not rise anywhere to the level of "establishing a state religion").

  • Secularism, which is explicitly anti-religion.

  1. Because the whole point of swearing is to swear on something holy to you (which is why non-Christians can swear on items aside from Bible).

    The idea being, that you're making an oath in front of the deity. The implication being that breaking said oath is a sin.

    However, US Constitution is a legal document that does not have any holiness to it. There are no spiritual reprecussions for not upholding an oath sworn on it, so you might as well swear on an empty piece of paper, or not swear at all.

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user4012
user4012
  • 93.3k
  • 20
  • 228
  • 390