What is your opinion?
"Courtroom oaths could be taken on the Koran and other sacred texts besides the Bible in a bill filed in the state Senate on Wednesday". ...
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1170359805473&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
2007-02-07 13:36:59 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Courtroom oaths could be taken on the Koran and other sacred texts besides the Bible in a bill filed in the state Senate on Wednesday.
The issue drew national attention last month when the first Muslim elected to US Congress took a ceremonial oath with a Koran once owned by Thomas Jefferson.
In North Carolina, the issue appeared in 2003 when a Muslim woman sued the state because she was not allowed to swear an oath on the Koran when she was called as a witness in a court case.
State law allows witnesses to use only the Bible for oaths.
Three weeks ago, a state appeals court agreed to let her lawsuit continue.
The new bill would allow an oath-taker to place a hand "upon the Bible or any text sacred to the party's religious faith."
The court system would not be required to provide such texts, but it could accept donations.
The bill also would make clear that oaths could be performed without the words "so help me God" if appropriate to the person's faith.
2007-02-07 13:37:36 · update #1
i dont see the difference. anyone can lie. the book can be the bible, the koran, the torah or baking handbook; it doesn't stop them from lying.
2007-02-07 13:41:46 · answer #1 · answered by Dashes 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Koran, Bible and Torah are holy books of three major religions. I agree that courtroom oath could be taken on any or these holy books, depending on the religious believes of the person who testifies.
If the witness is an atheist I personally saw him being asked, "Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?" No holy book was used. There were no objections to swearing the witness this way from anybody present in the court room.
2007-02-07 22:07:34 · answer #2 · answered by paloma 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Courts do not compel witnesses to swear an oath on any religious text, the Bible or otherwise. A witness may choose to do so in some jurisdictions, but they cannot be compelled. The Muslim woman was given a choice of the Bible or nothing. She wanted a third choice.
2007-02-07 21:42:37 · answer #3 · answered by normobrian 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As someone who doesn't believe in the mythic style religions of the modern and ancient world, I think they should get rid of all "holy" books for swearing oaths. Ridiculous.
Our country wasn't founded on the bible. Why do people have such ignorance about their own country???? The pilgrims only came for religious issues. All the rest of our founders came for business reasons. The state of Virginia was started a business venture.
When Jefferson ran for president, the opposition said Americans would need to hide their bibles in their wells. Hmmmm WHY?????
Jefferson said there should be a wall of separation between church and state. Too bad he didn't provide for perpetual education of Americans so they could understand that our founders opposed state churches. In fact, our founders signed the Treaty of Tripoli which states that 'America is in nowise a Christian nation."
2007-02-07 21:39:40 · answer #4 · answered by cassandra 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
The Koran they used belonged to Thomas Jefferson.
The Koran is not the problem.. it is the Bible of a Muslim. Being Muslim is any ones right in America. You don't have to be Christian to be an American or to care about America! That is what we have been founded on.
2007-02-07 21:41:56 · answer #5 · answered by Yahoo Answer Rat 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have no problem with swearing in on the Qu'ran. America is, and always has been, a giant melting pot of cultures. Progression within cultures is nothing new here, but always met with opposition.
2007-02-07 22:01:23 · answer #6 · answered by Honesty given here! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no trouble with it. A sacred book is a sacred book. The Quaran, Torah and the Bible should all have equal footing. One is no better or more sacred.
2007-02-07 21:41:30 · answer #7 · answered by Cherry_Blossom 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Bible all the way. The country was founded on the Bible, and you should swear on the book of our Founding Fathers who fought for our independance, and the soldiers who are still fighting. If you don't like it, then don't become a politician.
2007-02-07 21:42:42 · answer #8 · answered by bigsey93harrison37 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
who cares what you swear on, the human being is willing to lie anyway just to save his own *** or to cause harm to others.
2007-02-07 21:51:45 · answer #9 · answered by fox mulder 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its an infestation
2007-02-07 21:39:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋