Fun fact: When Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim, is sworn in as the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress today, she will take the oath of office using Thomas Jefferson’s personal copy of the Quran. freep.com/story/news/loc…
1. Since people seem to be interested/surprised by this fact, here’s a quick roundup of a few times lawmakers/govt officials have used things other than Christian Bibles (which isn’t required) while taking the oath of office…
2. Let’s begin with presidents.
John Quincy Adams (Unitarian) was sworn in on a “volume of law.” —> inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-ina…
Franklin Pierce also didn’t use a Bible and chose to “affirm” rather than swear for…complicated religious reasons (I defer to historians there).
John Quincy Adams (Unitarian) was sworn in on a “volume of law.” —> inaugural.senate.gov/about/past-ina…
Franklin Pierce also didn’t use a Bible and chose to “affirm” rather than swear for…complicated religious reasons (I defer to historians there).
3. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on a Roman Catholic missal on Air Force One shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. (There’s a similar story regarding Teddy Roosevelt not using a Bible when sworn in after assassination of William McKinley) independent.co.uk/news/world/ame…
4. During one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s swearing-in ceremonies, she used a Hebrew Bible: jta.org/1993/08/11/arc…
So did Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: loc.gov/loc/lcib/09012…
So did Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: loc.gov/loc/lcib/09012…
5. When Tulsi Gabbard, a Hindu Hawaiian and now possible 2020 candidate, was sworn in, she used a copy of the Bhagavad Gita — the same one she kept with her while serving in Iraq. huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/tul…
6. When Mazie Hirono, who was raised Buddhist, was sworn in, she reportedly didn’t use a book at all. buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=6…
7. And, of course, Rep. Keith Ellison used Jefferson’s English translation of the Quran when sworn in to Congress in 2007. washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content…
8. Some, like, former CIA director John Brennan, just use the U.S. Constitution.
Heck, when Suzi LeVine was sworn in as a U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, she placed her hand on top of a Kindle (yes, really) w/the U.S. Constitution loaded up on its screen. washingtonpost.com/news/the-switc…
Heck, when Suzi LeVine was sworn in as a U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, she placed her hand on top of a Kindle (yes, really) w/the U.S. Constitution loaded up on its screen. washingtonpost.com/news/the-switc…
9. Similarly, when Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), the sole “religiously unaffiliated” member of Congress, was sworn in, she used a copy of the Constitution. friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2013/01/07/rep…
10. This doesn’t include state-level lawmakers/officials, who likely use all kinds of things.
Want to learn more? Here’s a fun New Yorker write up: newyorker.com/books/page-tur…
Want to learn more? Here’s a fun New Yorker write up: newyorker.com/books/page-tur…
11. OH, and if you’re curious about the current state of religious diversity in Congress, I literally just wrote this: religionnews.com/2019/01/03/stu… 
12. Relevant:
