Regarding U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode's insistence that congressional oaths of office be sworn upon the Bible, Daniel Aaron Weir points out that the Bible itself seems to forbid this ("Scripturally unsound," Jan. 24). It is also noteworthy that the Constitution rejects any such test of faith.
Article VI states that "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."
Thus it would seem that Goode's recent criticism of Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who swore his oath of office upon the Koran, runs afoul of law and scripture alike.
Alec Solotorovsky
Law II
Read More
EDITORIAL: An eleventh-hour presidential appointment and a community left in the dark
By Editorial Board | 9 hours agoFurthermore, it is hard to ignore that the unanimous vote elevating Beardsley to the University’s top role was undertaken by a Board that is seemingly not legally constituted.
NERO: The University must modernize the Lawn room application process
By Emma Nero | 2 days agoStudents vying for a Lawn room are left with the options of not signing an off-Grounds lease on the gamble of being accepted, or putting their name on a lease and risking financial or legal repercussions for removing their name.
LETTER: An alumnus and parent’s perspective on U.Va.’s presidential search process
By Tom Neale | 6 days agoThe critiques of Mahoney and the Board of Visitors are egregious double standards that I believe are motivated by political differences with Mahoney and the Board.
