The phrase Swear to God dates back to Biblical times as a promise to God, the key word is swear meaning to make a pledge or a guarantee. In the Bible this oath was not to be taken lightly for the fear of going to hell and it was a promise to a higher power increasing one’s creditability. Swear also means to use offensive language, taking the Lord’s name in vain, in addition to cursing. However, swear to God has become just another acronym widely used across many social media sites as STG. The users of this phrase and/or acronym use it as a hyphening word to intensify a statement. The phrase Swear to God and its acronym STG needs to be removed from the English vocabulary, because its true meaning has been misconstrued and its seriousness has disappeared. Etymology commented on the phrase Swear to God, “In the event that someone broke this promise, it was interpreted by many (including the Catholic Church) as a sin,” now it used in reference to situations that do not require much level of creditability and broken commitments have little to no real consequences for its users (Etymology). …show more content…
If one is willing to involve a higher power, we are lead to believe they are more likely to be telling the truth. Even in the court of law we must take an oath before we are allowed to testify, requesting that we swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help us God. Also if at any time we are caught disobeying this oath while testifying can result in loss freedom for a period of time, in addition to being fined to pay a fee to the court. Swearing to God was not common to do unless it was an attempt to make a believer out of someone and to be caught lying would be considered a sin to most people that could be
Various people are devoted to numerous pursuits in their lives. A man in particular known as Thomas Jefferson was devoted to religion. Sworn on the Altar of God is a biography written by Edwin S. Gaustad that goes in depth about Jefferson’s unwavering religious beliefs throughout his life. The book exemplifies how Thomas Jefferson interacts with religious, political, and personal issues. The book follows a timeline from when he was first born into an Anglican family to when he broadened his horizons as a young adult to the impacts he made before, during, and after his Presidency to the aftermath of his death. Edwin S. Gaustad effectively argues that Thomas Jefferson used his religious beliefs to have a positive impact on the world around him.
When ancient people look to understand religion, it is easier for them to relate to a higher power, also known as a god. Throughout the world and through time, there have been hundreds of different religions that have been established, and in the writings by people of these various groups there are often stories about conversation with the gods. This helps other people in understanding and conforming to the same beliefs. Two of such examples of this style of analyzing what gods are, are found in St. Augustine’s Confessions and The Bhagavad Gita.
For instance, the idea of an act going unseen by the gods seems trivial and impossible. To my knowledge, actions in Ancient Greece were done to honor, defend, or in fear of the gods. Does one not go to the gods for answers and guidance? If so why is Socrates and others put on trial for their actions and
An important point though is that in both the Confessions and the Epic of Gilgamesh, there is a supreme higher power that gives everyone hope and something to believe in. “Piety and respect suggest a practical acknowledgement of nature’s power and serve to remind humans of their place in the larger scheme of things” (Sparknotes Editors). I think it necessary for people to have something greater than themselves to believe in, otherwise no one would really have anything to look forward to and a fear of death might actually control everyone. Overall, no matter what time period you are from or what your background is, there’s nothing wrong with believing in something greater than yourself the way Gilgamesh and Augustine
How can we be expected to trust a God who Himself has gone against the morals that He teaches? In Elizabeth Anderson’s article “If God Is Dead, Is Everything Permitted” Anderson brings up many arguments as to why the moral understanding of the bible and religious scripture brings up multiple examples of unreliability. Both in the writings and of God Himself. Throughout the article Anderson mentions the inconsistencies and inaccuracies within the bible and other religious writings, and how their moral teachings which were considered right are now considered wrong in the present day. The religious stories from all sorts of different religions have been shown to cause countless events that have made a number of people suffer, and these were seen
Believing in God is a pretty big deal, just once it would be nice for someone to give full frontal proof that God existed. None of that “you just have to believe” talk, just hardcore evidence. Well the bible does just that. How much more proof would someone need than legit stories of the truth? Prime examples like Moses and the burning bush, God reveals himself to Moses in a remarkable way, that shows his full power and beyond humanity abilities. Just like this he makes it known again with Elijah when he proves his existence by bringing his flame to the offering to show the other citizens that the only God they should be worshiping is him.
These ‘gods’ came in two forms: the bible salesmen and the police sheriff. While on a picnic with the bible salesmen he attacks and robs Everett. “And it is that which I propose to give you a lesson in right now...His club is ready. He swings at Delmar who staggers back with a grunt” (OH BROTHER...THOU). This man of god betrayed, stole, stalled, and injured these men for money. This was a representation of a god creating problems for the main characters. Another example of a divine obstruction was the police sheriff that followed Evert across the land to catch and kill them for escaping prison. When Pete tries to argue that he had been pardoned by the law the sheriff replies: "The law. Well the law is a human institution” (O BROTHER... THOU). The sheriff felt like what he was about to do came from a higher power, like a god. In both of these instances the journey of Everett and his company was stalled by a god like
Trust is a word that in mythology, is hardly shown. When one god betrayals another, there are horrific consequences and punishments. Most of this horrendous punishments including the one I will be talking about, are explain by Hesiod in his book The Theogony. In this book Prometheus is punished for tricking Zeus by making him choose from rich and fat innards hidden inside an ox’s paunch, or bones wrapped in white fat. He also gets punished for steeling fire for the mortals, not once, but twice. Most gods and goddesses are worry about what benefits them the most and they do not care if they betrayal each other to get what they want. Therefore, betrayal plays a huge role in mythology not only among gods that just know each other, but also among
word of God for reasons of convenience or to save one’s life. According to Judaic
...nd have great context. These words also reflect the importance of the Roman Catholic faith and how omnipresent it is within the lives of French Canadians, it is their lifestyle, associated with their happiness as well as their troubles, and their means to express feeling, be it blasphemy or not. These curses are a reflection of the French Canadian desire to remain a unique group within the larger nation. It is a reflection of their distinction, it ties them to their French roots, yet it also separates them. As the words evolved into being more associated with symbols and sacred objects, it reflects not just their concerns with God, but elements of the religion. Declaring these words were a capital crime, yet they survived to modern times and have become part of the written work and media, and they remain the most vile and offensive words in French-Canadian culture.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God , "The God that holds you over the
Coming close to God through prayer soon became very important because everyone feared his wrath. It was said:
After the Holy Spirit was sent by God, the first Christians were given the power by them. And they end up telling the people about Jesus. It was the Christians who explained to people that they should invite God into their lives and confess their evil deeds to God.... ... middle of paper ...
These phrases are an expression or “confession” of Christian identity by which other Christians can recognize each other. There are three excellent examples in Scripture of what a confession is: the Emmaus story, chapter ten of the Letter to the Romans, and chapter fifteen of the First Letter to the Corinthians. In the Emmaus story St. Luke writes: “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon (24:34)!” In this text, there is a formula of acclamation and confession (i.e. the event and the witness who testifies to it). In chapter ten of Romans, St. Paul presents a combination of two formulae when he states: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (v. 9).” The first confession is that Jesus is “Lord” (i.e. divine) and the second is that “God raised him from the dead.” This particular confession is significant because it is a prototype for the kind of confessional formula that is used at Baptism because it links Christ’s lordship to his life, death, and Resurrection. The fifteenth chapter of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians is considered by many scholars to be the most important of all the Resurrection confessions. In chapter fifteen St. Paul writes: “That Christ died for our sins in accordance
To obtain such faith God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our own merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe.