Oath

"Tennis Court Oath" by Jacques-Louis David

An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð) 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 N as my witness" or "so help me N," with N 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.

"Lwów Oath" by Jan Matejko

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.

Oath of office: Kissinger being sworn in as Secretary of State

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 to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is perjury.

Religious Background

The concept of oath is deeply founded in religion. It fundamentally involves invoking a divinity in conditional self-cursing should the oath be broken. Deities of the oath include Indo-Iranian Mitra and Hittite Ishara.

As late as 1880, Charles Bradlaugh was denied a seat in parliament since because of his professed atheism he was judged unable to swear the Oath of Allegiance in spite of his proposal to swear the oath as a "matter of form".

Various religious groups have objected to the taking of oaths, most notably the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Mennonites. This is principally based on the words of Christ in the Antithesis of the Law, "I say to you: 'Swear not at all'". Christ taught that we should hold ourselves to a high standard of truthfulness at all times. The Apostle James stated, "Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." Not all Christians follow this reading, because of the statements in the Old Testament. Jews also avoid taking oaths, as even making an unintentionally false oath would violate a Biblical commandment (see Leviticus 19:12).

Opposition to oath-taking caused many problems for these groups throughout their history. Quakers were frequently imprisoned because of their refusal to swear loyalty oaths. Testifying in court was also difficult. George Fox famously challenged a judge who had asked him to swear, saying that he would do so once the judge could point to any Bible passage where Jesus or his apostles took oaths. (The judge could not, but this did not allow Fox to escape punishment.) Legal reforms from the 18th century onwards mean that everyone in the United Kingdom now has the right to make a solemn affirmation instead of an oath. The United States has permitted affirmations since it was founded; it is explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. Only two US Presidents, Franklin Pierce and Herbert Hoover, have chosen to affirm rather than swear at their inaugurations.

Types Of Oaths

• Hippocratic Oath
• Hittite military oath
• Pauper's oath
• Oaths of allegiance
• Oaths of citizenship
• Oaths of office
• Veterinarian's Oath

Famous Oaths

• Oaths in Freemasonry
• Oaths of Strasbourg
• Tennis Court Oath
• Oath More Judaico (Jewish)
• Anti-Modernist oath

Fictional

• Oath of the Peach Garden
• Oath of Fëanor
• Oath of Eorl

Other Meanings

The word "oath" is often used to mean any angry expression which includes religious or other strong language used as an expletive.

See Also

• Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau has several publications for Australia dealing with multi-faith issues and A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services covers oaths as well as many other topics (in review as of 12/2/2006 but the 2nd Edition is available.)
• ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North Carolina a court case in a state of the United States about taking oaths by different scriptures. The results have reversed several times.

External Links

• Courtroom oaths from the North Dakota Supreme Court website (jury oath, witness oath and so on)
• North Carolina faith leaders supporting Quran oath
• for comments about John Quincy Adams' Oath of Office.