Posted on 07/15/2014 4:13:15 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
Recently, an ambassador for the United States was sworn in on a Kindle version of the Holy Bible, prompting some to question if that was an acceptable decision.
Suzi Levine, U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, was sworn in last month on a Kindle due to there not being a paper Bible immediately available.
G. Brooke Lester, assistant professor in Hebrew Bible and director for Emerging Pedagogies at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, told The Christian Post that a swearing-in ceremony may prompt a question of symbolism.
"We're used to seeing the Bible as a single, bound book, and that appearance achieves a lot of symbolic value for many people," said Lester.
"At a swearing-in, that kind of symbolism might matter, even to people who don't really object to Kindle Bibles."
. . .
Regarding the swearing-in of Levine and others who have used iPads or Kindles, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Professor Donald Whitney told Fox News Latino that it was a question of "respect."
"There is an inherent respect given to the print version of the Bible that doesn't attach itself to a Kindle or the iPad," said Whitney.
"Because the Bible is nothing else. It is a holy book to Christians and it is the Word of God. If you have a digital device it may contain the Bible but it also contains other things."
Yes.
If I move my digital Koran into the Trash folder, should I be beheaded?
Our Bible contained a lock of hair.
It is the WORD of God. If you can read the WORD, it is holy.
...and for our next discussion we will consider how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
The data...The WORD, if you will, is there. The conveyance is irrelevant.
There is, of course, no legal requirement that an oath of office be taken on a Bible (or on any book, for that matter). John Quincy Adams took his Presidential Oath of Office on a law book.
The Bible isn’t the Koran.
Matters not.
What if I'm totally illiterate and can't read a thing?
Is it "holy" then?
Define “holy”, and provide a scale so that we can measure it.
For the INTENDED PURPOSE as stated here ... no it isn’t.
But for for actually reading it and doing some Bible study work, then yes it is. I’ve got about ten different Bibles on my iPad and it’s great to have it there. When in church, I just open up a particular Bible version and read along right there.
God’s inerrant and infallible word exists on its own and apart from from whatever media platform it’s on. It does stand on its own.
In this particular application though, there is the visual representation of it that counts and is important for the CEREMONIAL aspects involved. That should remain the same.
Are people who memorize and can quote the Bible verbatim speaking the Holy Word? As others have stated, the Word is the Word.
I’d rather have someone swear an oath on a Kindle Bible and mean it than utter a meaningless oath on a printed Bible like certain presidents have been known to do.
“What if I’m totally illiterate ...”
Being illiterate is not a problem, because you can HEAR it. If, however, you are illiterate AND deaf, God help you!
I wonder what people swore on in the years 0AD to 1000AD?
“I’d rather have someone swear an oath on a Kindle Bible and mean it than utter a meaningless oath on a printed Bible like certain presidents have been known to do.”
I absolutely agree!
Although the item is usually just considered a stand in for God Himself.
Or what they swore on before then, in the BC years ... LOL ...
we could just all “go pagan” and swear on the earth, moon and sky ... :-) ...
Yep. There is nothing inherently holy about either a paper or digital Bible. What is Holy is the Word contained therein. I would much rather see President take an oath on a cheap paper copy of the U.S.Constitution and honor that oath than see one take the oath on the biggest show Bible available and make a mockery of it!
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