New NASA Director Swears Oath on Carl Sagan Book Instead of Bible

[progressoid]

Dr. Makenzie Lystrup getting sworn in as Director of @NASAGoddard
Space Flight Center using Carl Sagan's 'Pale Blue Dot' is just everything. 😍

Link to tweet

...

While Lystrup's choice of oath-taking literature is "unusual," it's definitely allowed by law thanks to our good ole' separation of church and state, and there's a long tradition of political statement-making via swearing in books.

From Dr. Suess to a Superman comic and any number of non-Christian religious texts, American political figures have for centuries been putting their beliefs on display by being sworn into office on books other than the Bible.

That said, this appears to be the first time someone's been sworn in on a Sagan book, and we're with Cowing when it comes to admiring Lystrup's oath book — which NASA, interestingly enough, chose not to mention in its own blog post.

"Why do I suddenly get the urge to apply for a job over in Maryland at Goddard?" quipped Cowing, himself a former NASA employee. "Anyone who does this has to be cool to work for."

https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-director-sagan-swearing-in

[Wounded Bear]

1. I like it...the Constitution says nothing about swearing on any object...

It just says "upon oath or affirmation."

If your promise is only good if it's on a Bible, how good is it anyway?

[Sky Jewels]

9. And as if the Bible is anything but a collection

of tall tales.

[FreeState]

11. Never mind the morality

of slavery among other reprehensible issues.

[Sky Jewels]

12. And the sordid tale of Lot's daughters ... yikes

*shudder*

[FreeState]

18. Absolutely

Even if someone could demonstrate the God of the Bible I would never worship such a morally corrupt bully.

[Sky Jewels]

25. Exactly.

The Biblical God is beyond viciously cruel, what with drowning almost the entire population of the Earth, just for starters. The god that most mainstream U.S. Christians believe in either caused or allowed real-world atrocities that are too numerous to mention, but I'll throw out just one from the last 100 years -- the Holocaust. I guess "He" [of course the omnipotent being is envisioned as male in these patriarchal religions] gets around to deciding football game outcomes, though.

Some use "God gave humans free will" as an excuse for its behavior, but that means it's an evil, cruel god who won't step in.

But at the same time, "He has a plan!"

Go figure.

Like you said, a morally corrupt bully, and that's being generous.

[erronis]

16. It's especially good if the bibble is upside down. And if the oaf-taker has never read it.

Anyone who needs to hide behind the bible is already suspect.

Sometimes I'm approached by local craftspeople offering to do some job. When they start to say which church they belong to, I say "No thanks."

[sarge43]

19. Yeah

As an atheist if I "swear" on a Bible or any other 'holy' book, am I not then lying? Doesn't that then make my statements untrustworthy?

Further, the Constitution Article 6 (3) states that there be no religious test for public trust or office.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

2. Outstanding. I like her already.

[DBoon]

3. "Carl Sagan, Marijuana Advocate, Explains What It's Like To Be High While Carl Sagan"

Another reason I like this:

Carl Sagan, a titan of scientific study and communication, died in 1996, leaving behind an expansive legacy of research and education. He assumed a diverse set of roles throughout his life, including as a longtime casual user of and advocate for marijuana.

Sagan's involvement with pot began as a secret, when he penned an essay in 1969, at the age of 35, under the pseudonym "Mr. X." The piece, in which Sagan described the benefits he felt from using marijuana, later appeared in Dr. Lester Grinspoon's 1971 book, "Marihuana Reconsidered." Sagan's identity as the author wasn't publicly disclosed until 1999, when Keay Davidson published "Carl Sagan: A Life," which documented Sagan's writings as his alter-ego, "Mr. X."

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/carl-sagan-marijuana_n_3367112

[progressoid]

5. +1 Excellent!

I knew he was an advocate but didn't know about the anonymous articles. Nice.

[nuxvomica]

23. Think of what he might've accomplished without pot smoking!

Probably not as much as he did, actually.

[AllaN01Bear]

13. hehe. love it.

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. THIS made my day!!!

[Timeflyer]

7. Hail Sagan!

[Sky Jewels]

8. Wonderful!

Such a better choice than a book of primitive, convoluted mythology.

I hope the right wing religious loons soil themselves over this.

[ShazzieB]

10. Cool!

This ought to male some Republican heads go !

[AllaN01Bear]

14. eggscllent.

[deurbano]

15. Last fall, when my daughter was sworn into the National Council on Disability, she considered using

a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but decided to use a thick, leather-bound copy of the Constitution in Speaker Pelosi's SF office, where she was being sworn in remotely. (My son held the book and interpreted when she gave her speech.)

[progressoid]

20. Wow. That's pretty cool!

[SunSeeker]

22. Wow. What an amazing daughter and son you have!

Good work!

[NullTuples]

17. The Real Good Book (tm)

It's really good. Everyone should read it at least once.

[SunSeeker]

21. Love it! nt

[2naSalit]

24. Now we're talking...

Real scientists.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

26. This makes me smile

[Blue Owl]

27. K&R