I solemnly swear that I will not swear.

Subject: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sun Jan 09, 2011 1:22 am

So, I just had a thought.

Your friend is in court and you've been called up as a witness. You're asked to swear on the bible.

If you're anything but Christian, what do they do? Leave you exempt from swearing, or give you an alternative?

:S

RUSSIA IS FULL OF RUSSIANS

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:47 am

Interesting to think about

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:12 pm

I think that they let you swear in without placing your hand on the bible if you are not a Christian.

Actually I don't think you have to swear in on the bible regardless.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:35 pm

Yahoo Answers wrote:

Swearing on a Bible? They don't even offer it anymore in our courts (WA). As far as not wanting to tell the truth, one has three options:

1) "Pleading the 5th", which means that a person has a right to not incriminate themselves as a witness in their own or someone else's trial, according to the constitution's 5th amendment.

2) Not swearing to tell the truth amounts to basically being a hostile witness. A hostile witness can be compelled to testify at the judge's discretion, and refusal amounts to contempt of court, which is punishable at the judge's discretion as well.

3) Swearing to tell the truth and telling a lie instead would be perjury, and if proven, is also punishable at the judge's discretion.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:13 pm

They would wear over the finely groomed hair of the fonz

Guest

*sigh*

Der, why are your posts always on the border between clear-cut spam and clear-cut on topic? You have an annoying knack for that.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:46 pm

because he wins...

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:06 am

Win.^

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:24 am

Lol Der

Guest

These are the situations where I really wish I could give half-verbal warnings.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:53 am

Just ignore the lad.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:52 pm

I agree with Ein.

I also think that (my own opinion) bible swearing is bullshit.

Guest

I could be a real ass and say based on you saying "wear" vs. "swear", your message is therefore off-topic and give you a verbal warning. But I don't feel like being an ass.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:59 pm

I personally like a little randomness here and there

but back on topic

I don't really think that promising not to lie over some leather bound paper is really binding, it is just a book.

Subject: Re: I solemnly swear that I will not swear. Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:37 pm

"The exact procedure for being sworn in varies from state to state, and even from courtroom to courtroom. However, no one in this country has to swear on a Bible at all. Atheists, for instance, don't swear on a Bible. (What would be the point of that?) Generally, those who do swear on a Bible swear on a copy of the Christian Bible (i.e. Old and New Testaments together).

According to Joel Teibloom, a lawyer with the Flamm, Teibloom & Stanko firm in Chicago, in Illinois courtrooms when a witness is called she's asked, "Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" No Bible or other prop is used. Sometimes the question is prefaced with, "Under penalty of perjury…" and other times "so help you God" is added to the end. Similarly, in your home state of Texas, those who do not want to swear on the Bible can have their oath administered by the court "on pain of perjury."

On the federal level, the Federal Rules of Evidence state that before a witness testifies, an oath must be administered "in a form calculated to awaken the witness' conscience and impress the witness' mind with the duty to do so." As a result, the policy is that if swearing on the New Testament won't awaken your conscience, the Tanakh will do just fine. If you don't believe in God, you can go holy-book-free."