--- title: Vows, oaths and promises in faith — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Vows, oaths and promises in faith», a lesson of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: A vow is a solemn promise, often made before God and other people, and an oath is a promise to tell the truth or keep your word, --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Religion ethics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/) / Vows, oaths and promises in faith # Vows, oaths and promises in faith Lesson 88 of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school: 22 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/0/) — A vow is a solemn promise, often made before God and other people, and an oath is a promise to tell the truth or keep your word, sometimes "sworn" on a holy book. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/1/) — At a baptism the parents and godparents promise, in front of the whole church, to bring the baby up in the faith; saying it in public means the whole community helps them keep it. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/2/) — Courts make witnesses swear "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" because someone's freedom depends on it; in UK courts you may swear on a holy book or make a non-religious promise called an affirmation. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/3/) — Jesus said, "All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'" (Matthew 5:34-37), so Quakers never swear oaths: an honest person's plain word should be as good as an oath. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/4/) — Many faiths treat a promise as sacred, which is exactly why it matters to think before you promise, and to keep long promises one day at a time. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/5/) — At baptism parents and godparents make promises before God and the church; "When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfil it" (Ecclesiastes 5:4). - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/6/) — Many cultures mark big promises with a ceremony so the whole community remembers and helps. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/7/) — The commandment "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour" (Exodus 20:16) is first of all about witnesses; in Israel one witness was not enough to convict anyone (Deuteronomy 19:15). - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/8/) — In UK courts people may swear on a holy book or make a non-religious affirmation; lying in court is perjury, a crime; witnesses promise «the whole truth» because leaving out important parts can mislead too. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/9/) — Jesus said, "Do not swear an oath at all... - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/10/) — All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'" (Matthew 5:34-37); Quakers take this literally. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/11/) — The law in many countries lets people affirm instead of swearing, partly because of Quakers. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/12/) — James says, "Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear... - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/13/) — All you need to say is a simple 'Yes' or 'No'" (James 5:12); a plain yes, kept, beats any dramatic oath. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/14/) — Scouting's founder Robert Baden-Powell made the promise central; the first Scout Law (1908) said, "A Scout's honour is to be trusted." Brownies promise to do their best and help other people. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/15/) — Joshua said, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15): a public commitment. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/16/) — Christians see wedding vows, "for better, for worse", as a lifelong promise made with God's help; researchers say honesty and forgiveness matter most in long marriages. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/17/) — In the Ramayana Rama goes into exile (sent away to live far from home) to keep his father's word; the Qur'an says, "Fulfil every commitment" (Qur'an 17:34); Psalm 15:4-5 praises one who "keeps an oath even when it hurts". - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/18/) — Israel's leaders were tricked by the Gibeonites into a treaty but kept it: "We have given them our oath by the Lord... we cannot touch them now" (Joshua 9:19); today most laws say a promise won by trickery does not bind. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/19/) — To get out of a promise honestly, ask early and tell the truth; "Do not lie to each other" (Colossians 3:9). - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/20/) — In Hindi and some other Indian languages «beta» is a loving word for a child. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/88-vows-oaths-and-promises-in-faith/21/) — Small kept routines, like checking under a little sister's bed for monsters, help little children feel safe; "keep faith with the little ones" (see Mark 9:42). - ← previous: [Good secrets and bad secrets](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/87-good-secrets-and-bad-secrets/) - next →: [Owning up: the broken vase and the lost library book](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/89-owning-up-the-broken-vase-and-the-lost-library-book/) - ↑ back to [Religion ethics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/)