The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-22
.sACREDNEss OF AN OATH

For the Man Who Believes in God It
Is Distinctly Awe-Inspiring.
Should the day ever come when the
solemn oath calling upon God to wit
ness the truth of what we say or prom
Use will be lightly regarded by the
generality of men, it will be the day
that sounds the death-knell of all hui
man faith and trust, says the Balti-
more Sun. The oath is the highest
| tribunal of conscience-its court of
last appeal. For the man who realizes
Thoroughly what it means, and really
believes in a God, it is something
supremely awe-inspiring; and nothing
short of duty, or direct need, or at
| least the most justifiable utility, could
induce him to take it. He uses it not
as an ordinary, everyday confirmation
of his good faith, but only as last
resort If his oath won't suffice to
ing else will. His case is truly hope
less; no confidence can be placed in
him.
| The oath is, in truth, nothing less
than summoning the Omnipotent God
into court to serve as pledge or
security for our good faith. It is a
bold enough venture even when we
feel that we have justice and right on
our side! and how can we fittingly
characterize the act of one who dares
to call on the name of the Almighty
4 to sanction an injustice or to witness
lie? To make an equal-a fellow
mana party to such an Infamous
proceeding would be justly consider
/ ed one of the most grievOus wrongs
we could infiict upon him; to treat
a friend thus is one of the meanest
and foulest acts of treachery, and it is
wellnigh impossible to conceive how
even the most depraved could have
the hardihood to attempt such trick
cry with his Maker.
The oath, then, is the strongest
and last surviving safeguard of hui
man truth and justice, of human faith
and trust; and if that last strong bull
wark ever fails us, then will surely
come the deluge. And yet, in spite
of its awful sacredness, we have am
i pie evidence from many quarters that
the oath is treated very frequently
with but scant respect, and that, too,
; by people who claim to believe firmly
in God and His justice. The saloon
keeper who violates his oath by sell
: ing on Sunday or to minors, would
!, probably resent with some force the
charge of insulting the Almighty. He
will try to justify himself on the plea
that his promise is a mere matter OF
FORM extorted from l1im-compulsory,
hence not binding So, too, the sa.
loonkeeper's Sunday customer will
often deny under oath the fact of his
getting liquor, and seems to think that
charity or friendship will excuse, if
not sanctify, his perjury. Witnesses
in other criminal and civil court cases
sometimes act similarly and perhaps
for the same reasons as the forego.
ing. And as regards officeholders un-
! mindful of their sworn oaths, we all
know their name is legion. Doubtless
! like the aforementioned saloonkeeper,
: they regard their oath of office as a
T mere matter of form, entailing no
serious or real obligation.
i Morality is certainly at very low
ebb where things have come to such
, pass as this. Few words-none, i'm
!, fact-are needed to show the ground
) lessness and the nonsense of such ex-
| cuses; and we can't help wondering
| if those who urge them really take
them seriously. An oath freely (even
/ though reluctantly, taken or justly
) exacted is strictly binding; and Meth.
er self-interest, nor friendship, nor
sweet charity itself can ever make it
t otherwise. To treat 1t as a mere
j empty form is a mockery of the Al
mighty. God does not lend himself
3 to empty forms. If clubbing and
t equivocation are objectionable i'm ordi.
3 nary intercourse between man and
| man, they are still more inexcusable
3 when confirmed by solemn oath. The
i only conceivable explanation of this
5 frivolous disregard of sworn obliga.
d lions by people protesting belief in
e God and His justice is thoughtlessness
E or a failure to realize the nature OF
f the act by which they call the AL.
4 mighty God to witness the sincerity OF
d their plighted word.
1t is high time to awaken to sense
of its serious and sacred character
S for our present lOoseness in the mat
d ter is gradually weakening and allow
: ing to slip from under us this strong
! est foundation for civic integrity
t among men.