iPad Bible App Used to Swear in New York Official After Real Bible Goes Missing
A New York public official was sworn in on Thursday with his left hand on an iPad Bible app after a hard copy of the holy book could not be located.
Republican Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano ushered in his second term with the bible loaded up on the Apple tablet, as he promised to keep property taxes low and lure more businesses to the area.
The popular official received bipartisan endorsements leading up to his Nov. 18 defeat of Democratic challenger Thomas Suozzi.
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Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Senator Chuck Schumer were among those who endorsed the candidate, who expressed hopefulness and excitement upon the start of his second term.
"I have no doubt that when we look back four years from today, we will say Nassau is a better county, a stronger county, a safer county, a richer county because of the leadership of Ed Mangano," Cuomo said in his endorsement.
"From a janitor to county executive -- who could have imagined," said Mangano in his second inaugural address. "Wow, America and especially Nassau County, is the best place on Earth."
This was not the first time that public officials have been sworn in using an electronic bible. In New Jersey in February 2013, eight Atlantic City firefighters were sworn in using an iPad Bible app.
The Bible app is one of the iTune store's most popular products. In August, YouVersion's Bible App reached 100 million downloads, putting it among the top 100 free apps for a third consecutive year, according to Apple's iTunes chart.
The app has also taken on a strong social sharing component. In 2012, Bible verses were shared over 31 million times on Twitter, Facebook, email, and text.
