What happens if you're an atheist and you're asked (made) to swear on a stack of bibles?

Question

in a court of law?

to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...

Answer 1

This question keeps getting asked. The answer isn't going to change.

A court cannot require you to swear a religious oath, or to swear any oath on the Bible. If you are asked, you can refuse, and the judge can be reprimanded for violating established law.

Answer 2

You might be able to ask to swear on some other item. There are actually a number of court cases about this, and it's not just an issue for atheists. For example, it's usually the Christian Bible (Old and New Testaments), and not the Jewish Bible or the Islamic Koran or Confucian teachings or anything else.

As an atheist myself, I would mentally edit out references to God and the Bible and simply swear it based upon my own honesty, and hold to it because of that. It's similar to how when I have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the "under God" (the line was added in the 1950's, btw), I recite the rest but omit that line.

Answer 3

I have had to be sworn in a court of law and they did not even use a bible. They just asked if I would swear to tell the truth. Besides, whether you swear or not, if you lie and that can be proven, you are charged with perjury.

Answer 4

It only shows the power of religion in this country. Since you do not believe in the bible you can tell them simply that you do not recognize it and just swear to tell the truth. The bible question is being deleted from many courts.

Answer 5

well of course first it was always just one bible, which they don't use any more.

But an atheist does not beleive there is a God, so they don't beleve in the God of the bible or any other god, so they can swear by it and not care a bit since they are not doing anything in which they beleive.

It would be like me swearing on a comic book to tell the truth and then just lie. The comic book held no fear or lying.

Answer 6

Courts where I work do not use bibles for the oath.
Furthermore, there are many religions where the "bible" isn't even recognised, and for those individuals they are offered the opportunity to recite an affirmation........instead of "so help you God" it is worded more to the effect of "Do you solemnly affirm to tell the truth........etc" without the mention of God.
Most oaths given lately leave out the God reference entirely.

Answer 7

an atheist should be able to tell the truth, bibles it self are filled with lies..having a stack of bible represent a stack of lies..

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/babylon.htm


swearing on bibles means nothing, apparently clinton and bush swears on bibles and god everyday, youd never seen any truth coming from their lips..

Answer 8

well, you can't use the fact that you're an atheist to lie in court, but really, you're being asked to swear or affirm to tell the truth, not to swear to god, and the book doesn't really matter.

Answer 9

What's the point of this question? If the person is genuinely a decent person and is truthful with him/herself, he/she will affirm to tell the truth and nothing but the truth under penalty of perjury laws... that's all.

Answer 10

in case you have been a real atheist, you may do it through fact you realize it fairly is not correct besides. while you're somebody claiming to be an atheist through fact you have matters yet you're rather not an atheist, you will make a great stink approximately it, through fact you do not "have faith" in God, it fairly is a perception. a real atheist could in simple terms see the full element as folly and in simple terms bypass alongside with it through fact it fairly is much less complicated.