Why do you say "swear by the light" when swearing?

Swearing at the light is because people in China are not religious.

Swearing at the light seems to have become a common oath in domestic TV dramas. Different from costume dramas, it seems that in the past, it was more "swear by heaven". There are three reasons for this change from "natural ghosts and gods" to "lights".

One is that it reflects the general psychology of China people who don't believe in religion. China has a large population base and complex personnel composition, so it is impossible to convince everyone with the religious belief of a single nation. Therefore, the Chinese nation adheres to the concept of "religious freedom" and respects the basic rights of individuals to believe in religion and ghosts (local folk customs).

When people curse, what they say is naturally convincing to others. If they are not religious, there is no reason to "swear to the gods". Isn't this hypocritical and absurd? In line with the principle of seeking truth from facts from my own point of view, I chose feasting.

Second, by contrast, the lamp is an entity, even ordinary. Usually in a higher position than people. As the saying goes, "there is a god who holds his head three feet high." This angle actually coincides with the first point; But because the materialization of the lamp refers to a concrete thing, whenever you see this object, it is easy to remind people of the oath supported by the lamp at that time.

The commonness of lights may be more frequent and common than God's reminders. It also gives people an image sustenance. There is no discomfort.

The last possibility is simple banter. Because I don't want to be responsible for what I say, the gods may hear, but not all the lights are Aladdin's magic lights, and one god can hear them. So what you say can go in one ear and out the other. Don't pay too much attention. That's usually just a joke.

Extended data:

The origin of the oath:

Swearing custom can be referred to as swearing custom for short, which has existed in ancient and modern China and foreign countries. It is a means by which people use rituals and language to restrain swearing. Swearing customs can be divided into four types: the oath of war, the oath of marriage, the oath of righteousness, and the oath of monarch and minister.

The general pattern of swearing is: centering on symbolic activities (offering sacrifices to gods, bleeding, etc. ), declare the oath motive, stipulate the binding conditions, appeal to the holy witness, and stipulate the punishment for violating the oath.

Swearing is a way for people to ensure honesty, but people's behavior is mainly dominated by political, economic and military considerations. Therefore, the oath custom is widespread, but the oath may not be effective. ?

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