What’s the point of this? Presumably the idea of swearing on the Bible is that the person being sworn in believes they are making a promise to God. Hopefully this person does not have that kind of fear of Carl Sagan.
Perhaps, given the subject matter of the book, he is making a promise to the people and our future. A much better sentiment than promising to a deity he may not believe in, and essentially what is assumed (I assume) to be happening when a non-Christian (or non-practising Christian) swears on the bible simply because that is required procedure.
And why does it need to be compared to a religious belief? Why not just swearing on something impactful for him? It doesn't mean he is deifying Sagan. Why his he a clown again?
Because Carl Sagan can’t strike him down with a bolt of lightning or send him to hell, so it’s just an empty gesture. For a religious believer it isn’t.
Religious rituals are not just symbolic, they are real. Communion for example is not just a nice symbolic act, it’s as real as taking your medicine, and much more important if you’re Christian.
