Last week, the first openly bisexual senator was sworn in…and she refused to be sworn in on the Holy Bible, as is customary. She instead opted for a law book with the Arizona Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, because, she says, of her “love for the Constitution.”
Senator Kyrsten Sinema has a first name that ironically means, in Latin, “Follower of Christ.” In addition to being openly bisexual, she is also listed, according to the Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life, as the “only member of the Senate who does not identify as a member of a religion.”
Why do we have this system of swearing in public officials in the first place? And swearing in on the Bible? And saying, “So help me, God.”---which, by the way she did (indirectly, at least)? Who cares about such “antiquated” customs? Do these symbols matter? Well, Senator Sinema has a role in our government, thanks in part to the...