Buddhist congresswoman sworn in with no book, calls for tolerance

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - While a new, Muslim member of Congress sparked a controversy for taking his oath of office with a Quran instead of a Bible on Thursday, another new member who is Buddhist was sworn in with no book at all.

Rep. Mazie Hirono, a Hawaii Democrat who was raised in the Buddhist tradition but doesn't actively practice the religion, said, "I don't have a book. ... But I certainly believe in the precepts of Buddhism and that of tolerance of other religions and integrity and honesty."

Members of the House for the 110th Congress were sworn in en masse then had individual swearing-in ceremonies with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. In many cases, members rest a hand on a Bible while taking the oath, but they're not required to do so.

Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and native of Detroit, took his oath on a Quran once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Prior to his taking the oath, he was criticized by Virginia Republican Virgil Goode, who warned of an influx of Muslims being elected to public office.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0104buddhist-ON.html

[Leilani]

1. Hurray for Hawaii!

If all states had Hawaii's attitude the country would be a better place!

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Just as a matter of Presidential trivia...

historians don't really have much proof, but it seems that there are five Presidents who didn't use a Bible when being sworn in:

John Quincy Adams, who thought the Bible was too serious to be used so trivially
Pierce, who was not actually sworn in, but affirmed
T. Roosevelt, Coolidge and Kennedy, who all left their left arms at their sides.

And Arthur Goldberg used a Hebrew scripture when being sworn in to the Supreme Court.

Presbyterians, Quakers, and possibly a few other sects do not believe in swearing oaths, but will "affirm" although this has been ignored by many, like the Quakers Hoover and Nixon and the Presbyterians Wilson and Eisenhower. (Ike didn't join the Presbyterians until 1953, though.) Affirmation in lieu of oathtaking is now acceptable in all courts and presumably political ceremonies.

"So help me God" is another add-on that's not required even when swearing, but it's become somewhat of a custom that may have started with Washington and has come and gone since.

Some think the hand on the Bible thing was another of Washington's ideas, but he may not have used a Bible in his second inauguration.

[sutz12]

5. The Constitution specifically says "Oath or Affirmation"

And has no mention that any book or religious artifact be used.

[Kagemusha]

18. The books are for post-swearing in photo ops

but I've seen articles which get this right in the body of the article but appeal to stupidity with the headline.

[NYC Liberal]

Teddy actually swore on the Constitution and JQA swore on a lawbook

Rutherford Hayes and Chester Arthur also didn't swear on a Bible for their OFFICIAL ceremonies, but did for the public ones (although the public ones didn't mean anything because they'd already taken the oath.) I believe it was the same for Coolidge.

[Selteri]

9. If I were a politician I would be sworn in on the Constitution too

Being a Dieist myself it's a lot easier since we don't have a book or a whole lot to our 'religion'. I feel we need different points of view desperately because they can make us think of problems from different angles.

[NYC Liberal]

6. Teddy actually swore on the Constitution and JQA swore on a lawbook

Rutherford Hayes and Chester Arthur also didn't swear on a Bible for their OFFICIAL ceremonies, but did for the public ones (although the public ones didn't mean anything because they'd already taken the oath.) I believe it was the same for Coolidge.

[Kiouni]

3. Yeaaa! for Buddhists.

Friggin Sweet.

[ellisonz]

4. 3 Chairs for Mazie...

I've met the woman and she's smart, sincere and articulate.

[KT2000]

7. Don't get the book issue

No book is required for being sworn in. Apparently people want to bring a personal memento to the proceedings and that is the only reason there are books in the first place.
Remember when the fundies annointed the place with oil? Didn't Ashcroft put oil on his head?

All federal employees are sworn in with the oath.

[brentspeak]

32. I think that Ashcroft actually put Crisco on his head

Though I don't know if it was the liquid or lard stuff.

[SemperEadem]

34. I think one of the most disgusting swearing in ceremonies

is the governor or Georgia's over the top performance at his inauguration. He turned it into a cheesy, fake-ass 'praying out loud in the street and not in is closet' performance--not only did he swear on a bible, but he made this cheezy speech about it being opened to the book of Job and the reason why it was opened to that particular book and particular verse. And his denoument of 'so help me God' will make you start drinking if you've never drank before. It was nothing but performance; nothing genuine about it.

If you can catch it on C-SPAN this month, you should see just how far a Christite will go to convince everyone else of his faith when it would seem it is so shallow that it requires him to make greasy show out of it.

[Vidar]

8. Good for Ms. Hirono.

[sam sarrha]

10. every time i hear him i think he must have a mule for a girlfriend..

[depakid]

11. Not that it'll get much play in the corporate media- Yet

How cool is that?

:patriot:

[Lasher]

12. "...an influx of Muslims being elected to public office."

Like that's automatically a bad thing, with no justification needed? As in, 'All Muslims are bad'?

[kath]

31. That's the sentence I noticed most in the article. What a horrid thing to say.

[WindRavenX]

33. Oh, even on DU you will find many judgemental and hateful attitudes towards Muslims

It's all too main-stream :(

But kudos to her--she sounds like a very good person and I hope she can make some positive impacts in Congress.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. She swore on a stack of no books - must be a zen thing. nt.

[Neoma]

14. WhooHOo!

[saigon68]

15. Virginia Republican Virgil Goode = Hateful Nut Case Fundie

[StaggerLee]

16. K & R for this Aloha Friday

:dem:

[Miss Chybil]

17. Holy crap! A Muslim and a Buddhist? Next there will be Jewish people

in our "Christian" government. It was bad enough when we had to put up with those damn Catholics! What's the world coming to?

/sarcasm

:evilgrin:

[Tyo]

19. And Wiccans!

And they'll be burning people in baskets and stuff. We've gotta put a stop to the madness here.

[BushOut06]

20. As long as we don't elect any of those pesky Mormons

Holy crap, there are Mormons in Congress? Next thing you know, they'll be pushing for polygamy nationwide!

[midnight]

29. It is a new world. I'm Catholic, but for some reason my

parents were very respectful of me knowing and respecting other religions. Hopefully this diversity of backgrounds will give us a more tolerant group of Representatives who will be able to successully work together.

[Amused Musings]

21. What is the sound of one oath clapping?

[eyesroll]

22. Steve Kagan (D-WI) did his ceremonial oath on a copy of the Constitution.

:thumbsup:

[Heidi]

23. Kick.

:kick:

[Blue_Tires]

24. k+r

[Blue_Tires]

28. ttt one time

[FujiZ1]

25. Seems to me she called for an "anti-american" headline.

I'm a Buddhist, I'd of used a bible. She even states she doesn't practice. What good does being so defiant get her? Justice for all? No, a stupid headline. There are bigger battles to fight.

[Hekate]

27. She didn't sound "defiant" to me; she sounds like it's her family religion

Did you come to Buddhism as an adult? Perhaps this has a bearing on how you see her response.

People I grew up with whose families were Buddhist never made an issue of it -- it's just who they were, which was primarily Nisei/Sansei in a community with a lot of other Japanese-Americans around. Whatever your family raised you as was just background -- this was before the Christian fundamentalists got the bit in their teeth and started saying "Well I'm a Christian" every time they opened their mouths.

When she says she "doesn't practice," I take it to mean she's not sitting zazen every week, not that she doesn't take the precepts seriously or that they aren't a part of her ethical makeup.

It's possible that Mazie was simply taken by surprise at the current flap over Ellison's non-JudeoChristian religious practice.

Welcome to the Mainland, Ms. Hirono. :eyes:

Hekate

[SemperEadem]

35. you mean

" I'd have used...", contraction for "I would have used".

[Hekate]

26. Mazie Hirono warms my heart -- her attitude is how I best remember my home state

Aloha nui and Mahalo, Mazie. Best wishes for your career in Congress.

Hekate

[daleo]

30. I saw a 1950's episode of Perry Mason a while back

Della Street was being sworn in as a witness - no Bible, no "so help me God". And this was filmed in the wonderful 1950's of Republican memory. It just goes to show how this "issue" is a non-issue.

There was lots of smoking in Perry Mason, though.