Taking Oaths

Christianity Today has an excellent piece about honesty and taking oaths. It is entitled “Why Isn’t ‘Yes’ Enough?” It gently takes some Christians to task for throwing a fit recently about oaths and swearing ceremonies. Here is a highlight:

We could parse Scripture to codify hard rules for oaths, but then we’re right back to being confronted by Jesus.

Maybe we’re supposed to be less interested in oaths than in becoming a community of truth-tellers. As Philo said, the more emphasis one puts on swearing, the more “the swearer shows that there is some suspicion of his not being trustworthy.”

This is perhaps the most thoughtful piece I have seen on this issue. There are several good points made here that should make us all stop and think. We are supposed to be people of the Truth, and we must work hard to make sure that our words always communicate that.