Christianist views

Seems that there's a problem with the election of a Muslim to congress. He's not using the Bible to take his oath of office. He - wait for it - is using the Koran. The God I worship is more interested in whether we keep our oaths than in what holy book (or lack thereof) we use in making that oath. It seems to me that there are a couple of scripture passages on that (I've included one at the end of this note). The Jesus I read about has a real problem with the religious leaders imposing their beliefs on others and making a burden out of what should be a joy. If we want freedom to worship as we please we must give it to others. If we want people to respect our oaths on our scripture we should respect their oaths on their holy books. It is a misreading of scripture and a misunderstanding of Christianity to think otherwise.

Thanks to Dispatches from the Culture Wars for getting me to this article.

Matthew 23:13-24

[13] "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock
people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when
others are going in, you stop them. [15] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make
the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

[16] "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary
is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by
the oath.' [17] You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary
that has made the gold sacred? [18] And you say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is
bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound
by the oath.' [19] How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the
altar that makes the gift sacred? [20] So whoever swears by the altar, swears by
it and by everything on it; [21] and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by
it and by the one who dwells in it; [22] and whoever swears by heaven, swears by
the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.

[23] "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe
mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:
justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without
neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow
a camel!