Oaths 1 – A Discounted Power

Jesus said, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Matthew 5:33-7.

But this warning on how to speak the truth in your personal life, if taken to the extreme and applied to all contexts, even courtrooms and the covenantal contexts, of course, would deny oaths altogether. Jesus was speaking to the misuse of oaths, like “I swear on a stack of bibles that I’m telling you the truth!” Continue reading “Oaths 1 – A Discounted Power”

The Judicial System & Liberty

What does the judicial system have to do with liberty? Much in every way. A judicial system is a microcosm of the society. In the courtroom, parties are at odds, and a judge determines how to resolve the dispute. The judge does more than that. The judge determines punishment, exercising the power of the sword to take property, liberty, and even life from another human being. Therefore, the court can oppress the life of an individual human being, even if the society seeks freedom for its citizens. And how can a society be free if the governmental authorities seek to use the judicial system for its own purposes, to advance its power, to take authority from the individual or groups in society?

Tag: courts