Atheist
What happens if you don't believe in God and you have to testify in court? Do they simply change the "swearing in statement" or do you have to say it anyway? If you do say it anyway, does that make the "swearing" any less real because you are saying "So help me God" and you don't believe in God?
I was watching the Westerfield/Van Dam trial this morning and they swore one of the criminalists in saying "Do you swear to tell the whole truth...so help you God?" I thought Mhmm....what if he doesn't believe in God?
Comments
I don't know but I have wondered a similar thing about using a Bible. If I was in court and being sworn in, having my hand on a bible would not make me feel like I had to tell the truth. Honestly, a bible is just like any other book to me. In fact the only time I have read it was in a literature class in college. :-)
Posted by: Nirinjan | June 21, 2002 5:41 AM
I always thought I'd say "so mote it be" instead of "so help me god" I don't think we swear in on a physical bible here though...
Posted by: kerr | June 22, 2002 9:32 AM
ooh ooh ooh! (ala Mr. Kotter)
I think I know this one - I used to lurk (long long ago) on the Athiest board at PP, and I seem to remember that you simply leave out all the God comments in the swearing.
Posted by: kathy | June 26, 2002 12:32 PM