Recession? What recession? The Bushes Buy Fine China for almost 1/2 a mil.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

And, this is a serious question, why did they refer to him as Barack H. Obama while being sworn in? Why leave out the middle name?

Same reason why don't they call him "George Walker Bush" . . . It's pretty common. Ulysses S. Grant, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy . . . that's kind of just the nomenclature. NOTE: Just saw you were referring to the actual swearing-in ceremony, not the general acknowledgment - he definitely said Hussein there, I read poorly.

Also:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

so why was you making it one when you could have checked?

For all the times you've tried to get others to check citations for you instead of you presenting, this is totally LOL, as the kids say.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Same reason why don't they call him "George Walker Bush" . . . It's pretty common. Ulysses S. Grant, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy . . . that's kind of just the nomenclature.

PLUS HIS MIDDLE NAME IS HUSSEIN OMG WAS IT A KORAN?

nope...a Torah...heh

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Same reason why don't they call him "George Walker Bush" . . . It's pretty common. Ulysses S. Grant, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy . . . that's kind of just the nomenclature.

PLUS HIS MIDDLE NAME IS HUSSEIN OMG WAS IT A KORAN?

Well I know that. I meant during the SWEARING IN on the Bible. (Which I actually thought was pretty cool that they used Lincoln's.)

Religious question... not pertaining to Obama. If a non-Christian/Protestant person were to be elected, would they still swear on the Bible, to God? What if a Muslim president were elected? Or Jewish? Or Atheist? Wiccan?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Well I know that. I meant during the SWEARING IN on the Bible. (Which I actually thought was pretty cool that they used Lincoln's.)

That was cool.

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Religious question... not pertaining to Obama. If a non-Christian/Protestant person were to be elected, would they still swear on the Bible, to God? What if a Muslim president were elected? Or Jewish? Or Atheist? Wiccan?

I can see a Jewish president before a Muslim president. I definitely can't see an Atheist or Wiccan president.

To answer your question, that may be based on two things:

Is swearing in on the Bible a written/required part of the process?

Is it the Bible as literature or the Bible as a religious document? What do they do in a court of law where the person is Muslim, etc. and there is swearing on the Bible?

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

That was cool.



I can see a Jewish president before a Muslim president. I definitely can't see an Atheist or Wiccan president.

To answer your question, that may be based on two things:

Is swearing in on the Bible a written/required part of the process?

Is it the Bible as literature or the Bible as a religious document? What do they do in a court of law where the person is Muslim, etc. and there is swearing on the Bible?

The way it's outlined in the Constitution (Article II, Section I), the President doesn't have to take the oath on a Bible; the Constitution just gives the wording of the oath (it doesn't include any language about "God" or other supreme being) and no other guidance.

I'm guessing that using the Bible is just tradition, and that the President wouldn't need to swear on the Bible if he or she did not want to do so.

ETA: For the court proceedings I've seen (trials and hearings), I haven't seen a Bible used; the witness just had to raise their right hand.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

The way it's outlined in the Constitution (Article II, Section I), the President doesn't have to take the oath on a Bible; the Constitution just gives the wording of the oath (it doesn't include any language about "God" or other supreme being) and no other guidance.

I'm guessing that using the Bible is just tradition, and that the President wouldn't need to swear on the Bible if he or she did not want to do so.

ETA: For the court proceedings I've seen (trials and hearings), I haven't seen a Bible used; the witness just had to raise their right hand.

There ya have it, especially the bolded.

I can't recall the last time I saw the Bible used during a court proceeding. It was probably on television.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

ETA: For the court proceedings I've seen (trials and hearings), I haven't seen a Bible used; the witness just had to raise their right hand.

As far as I know, no courts still use the Bible for swearing in - your oath is legitimized (in a legal sense) on its own accord.

YMMV in, like, rural Alabama state courts, but who cares?

It would be much funnier to see the Bible whipped out during depositions - court reporters would have to be ordained, it would be a whole scene.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Well I know that. I meant during the SWEARING IN on the Bible. (Which I actually thought was pretty cool that they used Lincoln's.)

Religious question... not pertaining to Obama. If a non-Christian/Protestant person were to be elected, would they still swear on the Bible, to God? What if a Muslim president were elected? Or Jewish? Or Atheist? Wiccan?

Hmmmm.....only because there is a Muslim in the Senate, it would be safe to assume he would use a Koran

Jewish....more than likely a Torah...but can't assume

The others...that's a good question, but here is to saying, that RIGHT NOW...in this climate, someone with a Wiccan or Atheist background wouldn't get anywhere close to the White House....too many people with (insert religion here) values more than likely wouldn't go for an non traditional nor non religious president.