in god we trust?

Question

why do you have to swear on a bible in court but they cant hang biblical script (10 commandments) in the same room?

ok smart a*s in the court house

Answer 1

Gina-

Part of the premise of your question is incorrect. You can still hang some biblical script in courts, and in many places holding your hand on the bible is banned.

This is a difficult question that actually varries in different states. But at the least it starts with the first ammendment that basically has been interpreted as requiring that Government to refrain from "Establishing" a state religion.

Now, our Founders created this ammendment in a time when a lot of concern wasn't about Bible vs Koran (as an example) but more along the lines of Catholic vs Protestant. So a lot of the basis of beliefs and ultimately the laws they passed were deeply rooted in their christian-based morality. And their requirement that Government not establish a church was to protect against the government fixing on laws that help only one of those churches. If somehow the Government endorsed only laws arising from Protestant beliefs, then all of a sudden deeply moral people from other religions might be persecuted. But since most of the people held a bible as Ok, this was never disputed.

Fast forward today and we are not only trying to get along with other Christians, but Muslims, Hindus and Atheists (among others) as americans. In this context, requiring me to hold my hand on the Bible now can be read as attempting to establish Christianity as the "Religious Authority" of the moral code that many people derive law from.

In many states this practice has been abandoned for exactly that reason, as has the practice of posting the Ten Commandments. However, keep in mind that *in fact* the Ten Commandments has not been universally banned from the courts. In fact, they reside in the US Supreme Court on a mural that also depicts moses.

The basic test of the 10 Commandments being in a court is that they must be of a historical nature, not an "Establishment" nature. That is, it is fine to have a mural that depicts the 10 Commandments as their part of a rich history of law that most of the West draws on. However, puting them out as a display that basically insists that they *are* law is banned- specifically since one of the commandments requires fealty to the Jewish/Christian god.

Answer 2

you should have to swear on a bible they should have the ten commandments in every court room in god we trust should be in the Pledge and on money

this country was founded on in god we trust and we have been the best damn country in the world because of that most of the people in the U.S are either Christian or Jewish which both believe in God so why because of a few freakin scientologists and atheists do we have to change what this nation was founded on

"America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under.”
-ronald reagan

Answer 3

Our United States was founded so that we could have freedom to worship God, the one true God. Our country has lost all morals.When they kill unborn babies daily and call it legal you don't have to wonder why bad things happen . It's just the signs of the times. People don't want to hear the truth anymore, it scares them. Look at the bars everywhere but yet its illegal to drink and drive, doesn't make since. They should hang the 10 commandments, they hold all the laws that we should abide by.

Answer 4

the same thing goes for why do we swear on a bible when swearing is no only bad but besides that they dont like it that we say the pledge of aliegance cause it talks about god. it should be ok everywhere or not ok at all other wise they are sending out mixed messages to everyone. in my opinion no matter what they do i know who i believe in and them changing things around to fit what they want will make no difference to me. its always going to be like this, someone is always going to try and change something for some reason.

Answer 5

You swear on the bible because even though the law is not suppose to support only one religion. And politics and religion don't go together very well anyway,they believe it is a sense of bringing some truth to testifying, by swearing you cannot lie on the bible but hey they lie anyway and the dirty liars always go to hell...so it really is a pointless thing to do in the judicial system. I mean who really believes OJ Simpson is innocent......? LOL!

Answer 6

Too many liberals have twisted the meaning of the Constitution. They have claimed that the Constitution says there can be no mention of God or religion in the government, but that is just not true.

The Constitution prohibits the formation of a state religion. That's it. That's why we need more judges who read and accept the Constitution as it was written, and don't want to rewrite the laws of the land to fulfill their personal fantasies.

Answer 7

God used to be the supreme standard that people believed in.
Thus, all the things pertaining to God exist. We now have so
many atheists that are clever and they keep removing God from
everything that was once sacred. I imagine the swearing on a
Bible will soon be outlawed too. And that's the reason this
Country is being dumbed down year by year.

Answer 8

Why would they hang the 10 Commandments in a courtroom?

Answer 9

You don't have to swear on the bible you just have to swear an oath that you will not lie. You are not required to place your hand on the bible. I think it's just there to make you fell guilty about lying about that stuff you stole. Knock that off.

Answer 10

What about all the people that don't believe in the Bible or "your god"?

Your legislating religion... remember why America was founded? Freedom of Religion?

Just because you believe it... it doesn't mean someone else should have to believe the same...