Why can't I take an oath in court with my hand on the Necronomicon ?

Question

Or may I choose the Bible type (JW, baptist, or mormon)?

Answer 1

Sure, and at the end of the oath instead of "so help you God" you can say "Klaatu Barada Nikto".

Answer 2

This so-called "question" seems to focus on "New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures", which is distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses. There are more than 145 million copies of this modern-language bible in print, in dozens of languages.
http://watchtower.org/languages.htm

The entire text of NWT is freely available at the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses, and a personal printed copy can be requested at no charge:
http://watchtower.org/bible/
https://watch002.securesites.net/contact/submit.htm
http://watchtower.org/how_to_contact_us.htm


Jehovah's Witnesses certainly like NWT, but they are happy to use any translation which an interested person may prefer, and in fact Jehovah's Witnesses themselves distribute other translations besides NWT. Jehovah's Witnesses attach no particular infallibility or inspiration to NWT.

Since the same manuscripts used by the NWT translators are still widely available for study, and since there are dozens of alternate translations for comparison, anyone who chooses to use NWT does so informedly.

It seems that the vast majority of the criticism against the New World Translation is actually as a proxy for blind hatred against Jehovah's Witnesses. The hatred must be "blind" since secular experts of biblical Hebrew and Greek have consistently refused to condemn any particular verse or phrase as an unacceptable translation. Instead, it is religionists with preconceived theologies who bigotedly insist upon particular wordings, since these are necessary to prop up the shaky tenets of their false worship.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.

Answer 3

Because the necromicon is an imaginary book made up just for movies, it doesn't really exist.
Theoretically, you should be able to swear an oath on whatever sacred text you choose. This country was founded on the ideal of freedom of religion and speech, so the constitution should support you on this one.

Answer 4

You may ask for a specific bible. If the court denies the request you can then ask for the non-religeous oath.

Answer 5

They don't really do that anymore. You just take an oath to tell the truth and can insert whatever deity you want.

Answer 6

an oath on the necronomicon might be binding

Answer 7

The Necronomicon was a work of fiction.

Answer 8

Be glad you don't have to - if you don't believe in the thing you're swearing on, you can lie!

(If someone really wants me to tell the truth, they should make me swear on "The Lord of the Rings.")

Answer 9

I suppose the judge can hold you in contempt and jail you if he wants to. Ever hear of that?

Answer 10

You may put your hand on whatever you wish, Mr. Knoxville.