Vows, oaths and promises in faith

Tests: 6 of 11 right · Exam: 0 of 4 right · Kind: plain · Understood: 9 of 15 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 88 of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: the lesson in the corpora.

Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.

Test 1 · right ✓

Your mate says, "Swearing on your mum's life makes it way more true." What does James 5:12 teach?

1. A simple "Yes" or "No" is enough; your plain word should be true — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Only swear on your dad's life, not your mum's — no support
3. Swearing makes any sentence true — no support
4. Swearing on someone's life is the best and strongest kind of promise — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · right ✓

Toby asks, "Why do they say 'the whole truth' as well as 'the truth'?" What is the best answer?

1. Leaving out important parts can mislead, so witnesses must tell all of it — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 0
2. Because "whole" is just a nicer word — no support
3. Because judges like long sentences and the old words sound grander in court — no support
4. Because one truth isn't enough for a court — no support

Why: It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 1 with score 0, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 83, line 15: «When someone sincerely asks for honest feedback, kind, polite honesty helps them; "An honest witness tells the truth".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «tell» (+2); the same doer «honest witness» (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-3). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · wrong ✗

Hannah's friend says, "Quakers don't swear oaths, so they can lie in court." What is wrong?

1. They make a solemn promise instead, and lying is still perjury — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Only Quakers are allowed to lie in court — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. Quakers don't go to court, so it doesn't matter — no support
4. Nothing; Quakers can say anything they like in court because they never swore — score 3

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 3, tied with another option at 3 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 88, line 9: «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» becau…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same place «court» (+3); the same action «lie» (+2). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · wrong ✗

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," says Lily, and then forgets the book. What does this show?

1. The oath was too short to count, so she needed a longer and scarier one — ← Mova's choice · score 5
2. She should have crossed her heart twice — no support
3. Dramatic oaths don't make you keep a promise; doing it does — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. Books are not worth promising about — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 80, line 4: «Lily asks, «Will I ever stop missing Mum?», and the honest answer is that she may always miss her a little, but the pain softens and happy memories grow; Chris…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «ask» (+3); the same doer «lily» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · right ✓

Ellie asks, "Do godparents have to keep their promise for ever?" What fits best?

1. No, it's only for the day of the baptism, and after that the parents take over — score 8
2. No, godparents never really mean it — score 6
3. It's a serious lifelong promise, and the church community helps them keep it — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 12
4. Only if the baby remembers it — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 12, against 8 for the next best. Its support: lesson 88, line 2: «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…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same action «help» (+3); the same doer «whole community» (+3); the same thing acted on «parents» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · wrong ✗

The vicar asks, "Should Israel have kept the Gibeonite treaty?" Which answer gives reasons?

1. No, because the Bible says they were wrong — score 7
2. It doesn't matter, it was a long time ago — ← Mova's choice · score 8
3. It's an open question: trickery usually cancels a promise, yet keeping your word can still be noble — ✓ the right answer · score 8
4. Yes, because any promise made by anyone must always be kept — score 7

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 8, tied with another option at 8 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 46, line 4: «In a hard question the best answer gives reasons, weighs the other side and is fair to everyone, people and animals alike.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same doer «best answer» (+3); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+1). The right option, 3, scored 8. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · right ✓

Erin texts her friend, "So sorry, got a bad cold," on party day, but she's at the christening. What would have been better?

1. Telling her early and truthfully about the christening — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Going to both and leaving early from each — no support
3. Ignoring the friend's texts all day — no support
4. A better excuse that nobody could check — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · right ✓

A cartoon shows a Brownie who says the promise and then laughs, "It's just words." What is wrong?

1. A promise said together reminds you who you want to be; it's meant — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Brownies don't have any promise — no support
3. Nothing; promises at clubs are only words, and nobody expects children to mean them — no support
4. She should have said it louder — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · right ✓

Lucy asks, "How do Grandma and Grandad keep a promise for fifty years?" What would they likely say?

1. They wrote it down once on their wedding day and then forgot it — no support
2. Promises keep themselves automatically once you are married — score 3
3. One day at a time, with honesty and lots of forgiveness — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
4. They never had a single argument in all those fifty years together — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what something is like. It chose option 3 with score 6, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 79, line 1: «Before he died, Grandad asked Ellie to look after his garden, and every week she waters his tomatoes: keeping a promise to someone who has died is a way of hon…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «promise» (+4); the same action «keep» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · wrong ✗

Hari's friend says, "Only Christians think promises are sacred." What is accurate?

1. Many faiths treat promises as sacred, including Hindus and Muslims — ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. Hindus think promises don't count — no support
3. Only Christians care about keeping promises; other faiths do not mind — ← Mova's choice · score 8
4. No faith thinks promises matter — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 8, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 87, line 10: «Christians believe the body is a gift to care for.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «care» (+4); the same doer «christians» (+4). The right option, 1, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · wrong ✗

What would happen if witnesses in court didn't have to tell the truth?

1. Only the lawyers would be affected — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Trials would be quicker and fairer — no support
3. Nothing; judges always know the truth anyway — no support
4. Innocent people could be punished and guilty people set free — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which of the following most accurately characterises the purpose of the oath administered to witnesses in a court of law?

1. The prolongation of proceedings for ceremonial reasons — no support
2. The exemption of witnesses from the consequences of any falsehood they utter — ← Mova's choice · score 6
3. The demonstration of the witness's religious affiliation — score 6
4. The securing of truthful testimony, the liberty of persons depending upon it — ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 88, line 3: «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 hol…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+4); the same doer «witnesses» (+3). Against it: a different action (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗

Identify the principal reason for which members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) decline to swear oaths.

1. Their literal adherence to the teaching of Matthew 5:34-37 that a simple "Yes" or "No" suffices — ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Their conviction that courts possess no lawful authority — no support
3. Their preference for swearing upon an alternative text — no support
4. Their exemption from the obligation to tell the truth — ← Mova's choice · score 2

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 88, line 18: «To get out of a promise honestly, ask early and tell the truth; "Do not lie to each other".», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «tell» (+2); the same thing acted on «truth» (+2). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-2). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

Select the statement consistent with the account recorded in Joshua 9.

1. The Gibeonites were deceived by the leaders of Israel — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. The leaders of Israel, having been deceived into a treaty, nevertheless honoured it by reason of their oath — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. No oath was sworn in respect of the treaty — no support
4. The leaders of Israel repudiated the treaty upon discovering the deception — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Ascertain the most honest means of withdrawing from a promise that cannot be fulfilled.

1. The fabrication of an illness on the appointed day — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. An early and truthful request for release, accompanied by an apology — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. The quiet transfer of the obligation to a third party who has not been told of it — no support
4. The silent failure to appear without explanation — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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