When a atheist is sworn into court, what do they place their hand on?

Question

By the way, please note, I am not an atheist, I am just curious.

Answer 1

A hot stove.

Answer 2

I watched a trial with over 100 witnesses everyone of them was offered if they wanted to to affirm instead of swear every single one put there hand on the same bible. (the court house doesn't have a dozen for each denomination) I am sure there was a couple of atheists and agnoistics in the mix. I know there were a few Jews.

I am sure there are a few diehards out there that would object, most are going to just go throught the standard motions and get out of there as quickly as possible.

Answer 3

Why do you religious folk think that atheists have no morals?

Just because we don't believe in god doesn't mean we are evil people. When I make an oath or swear to something it is just as valid and I intend to carry it out just as much as you do, maybe more. I take pride in my honesty.

Atheists are the ones who wonder about the poor morals of those religious folks. After all you agree with torture; Spanish Inquisition; mass murder; suicide bombers, repress science; the Dark Ages, and account for a whole series of other crimes. Have you noticed how the most ferverant religious congressmen are the one who get caught in sex scandals?

Look at the recent settlement against the Catholic Church in California; the church is going to have to pay record sums for covering up years and years of child abuse. The most important part of the decision is that the court order will open up the records of the church so they people who were harmed can prove that the church knew their priests were guilty of child abuse and they were moving them to hide their crimes. This is called conspiracy and how the FBI brought down the mob.

I should be worrying about religious folk when they swear on a bible. If they follow the patterns of their leaders and some of the strongest supporters then I can be sure that they will LIE!

I was raised a Roman Catholic and I know Christianity. I have received the sacraments and was a good member of the church. I honestly believed in the church and god until I was exposed to that demon of education. Once I learned all the crimes that the church was guilty of my faith wavered. Once I learned of the errors in the bible that people will try and bend science to prove, I knew there were problems, and every time I hear of a major religious leader being caught in major sins I know that it is a great scam.

The idea of Christianity is noble and pure, the ten commandants are the foundations of modern law, and the example of how to live your life set by Jesus is one that I still look to. It is ORGANIZED religion that I fear and suspect. When I see clerics perverting Islam to sanction suicide bombers I know that Christianity is not unique. When I see how people like Jim Jones corrupted Christianity to order the death of hundreds of people I get scared of organized religion. The next time you suspect the morals of atheists I would look at your own morals and the morals of those that are leaders in your religion. Their morals are much more suspect and possibly corrupt than mine! I agree with you that there are some religious leaders who “walk the walk and talk the talk” following the principles of their religion; I am just sad that they are the exception to the rule.

When a religious person swears on a book that is proven to be wrong and in error like the bible how do I trust them to tell the truth?

Answer 4

They don't.

They give an affirmation that they will tell the whole truth subject to the penalties of perjury. This is well settled law.

Nobody can be compelled to use any religious item, or to make any religious-based oath, by the court. And the court must make reasonable accommodations (I said, reasonable, not anything at all) to other religions if the person wants to swear on a different book

Answer 5

Well, the next time you watch Court TV, since you have obviously never been near a courtroom, listen to what they say. In just about every jurisdiction now, they ask you to raise your right hand and "swear or affirm" to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and then the witness responds, "I do." That means that if you swear, then you swear to tell the truth, etc., and if you don't swear, i.e., you're an athiest and don't believe in anything you can swear to, then you affirm that you will testify to the truth.

Answer 6

It's symbolic. You are swearing before the court to tell the truth. It's more about having you say that you understand the gravity of the situation and understand that there may be consequences if you lie, secular not spiritual consequences, than actually swearing a binding oath to God.

Answer 7

I've always wondered the same thing. I'm an atheist, and I'd just tell the beforehand that the bible doesn't mean anything to me. Might as well place my hand on a Harry Potter novel.

Answer 8

In KY the Bible is not used to be "sworn in to tell the truth". I believe a lot of that is more for the movies than reality.

Answer 9

I would think you would question the presence of the bible rather than wondering how atheists promise to tell the truth. The idea that it matters to God whether or not you promised to tell the truth before you lied or whether you simply lied, is just too comical.

Answer 10

I am not totally sure but I think it is not uncommon for everyone to be sworn in simply by holding their right hand up.

Answer 11

they give an affirmative oath. just a statement that they aren't lying. as we all know, whether or not you swear on a bible, if you lie in court you go to jail

i don't think you have to place your hand on anything. perhaps your heart, or just raise it