2007-07-21 03:44:49 · 30 answers · asked by Dave 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
therefore they can commit perjury
2007-07-21 03:48:01 · update #1
why not
2007-07-21 03:47:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
This is one of the reasons that the practice of swearing on the bible should be removed. It does absolutely nothing to prevent people of any faith from committing perjury and, if someone requests some different form of affirmation, it can prejudice the jury against them. For my part, if I give my word that I am telling the truth, then I am telling the truth - if ever summoned to court, I will take the standard oath simply because I would not want some incompetent juror to come to the conclusion that my word is not good.
2007-07-21 03:54:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am a christian and I wouldnt swear on the Bible! There is a text in scripture which states we should not swear on the word of God. I have been in court twice as a juror and I always chose to affirm. No one is forced to swear on the Bible you are given two sets of words to read, because of course so many do not proclaim to be Christians and need an alternative claim to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Either way, swearing or affirming, the witness or the the accused can commit purgery as is said above no matter what they read out or lay their hand !
2007-07-21 06:08:38 · answer #3 · answered by Fiona M 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The actual truth is that when you are in court - as a witness, on a jury, as plaintiff or defendant - you have a choice. You can swear on the holy book of your religion - the Torah, the Christian Bible, the Koran - or if you are not religious, or belong to a sect like the Jehovah's witnesses that prohibits swearing on the bible, you can choose to affirm.
Affirming simply means that you give you word that you will tell the truth, or try the case properly in the case of a juror. You are of course still subject to the law of perjury.
What was interesting was that when I was on a jury earlier this year, eight out of twelve jurors chose to affirm rather than swear on the bible.
2007-07-21 04:12:20 · answer #4 · answered by Daniel R 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Forget the bible and what it stands for.
When you `swear` in court you are `swearing` to tell the truth and if you don`t you would be guilty of perjury.
If you are an unbeliever in any `gods` you can `affirm` and change the word `I swear` to `I affirm.....` It means the same thing. They keep in the religious `I swear` simply because human nature and mankind, being what it is, find it very difficult to make changes from the normal. It is only tradition and means nothing.
It is as easy as that.
2007-07-21 03:52:23 · answer #5 · answered by Montgomery B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are entitled to swear on the Bible. Most atheists, however, would choose to affirm and the affirmation is as binding on their conscience as the oath would be on the conscience of a believer. Some Christians would choose to affirm too because they do not believe in taking oaths. To swear by Almighty God when you don't believe in Him does not entitle you to commit perjury: He is none the less real whether you believe in Him or not and, as I said before, you are obliged to tell the truth whether you swear or affirm. However, it might well be objectionable from the point of view of your conscience to swear when you have no belief. It is a matter for the individual.
2007-07-21 06:23:15 · answer #6 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
So swearing on the bible forces you to tell the truth, and not doing so nullifies the law? Thats not how it works.
Countless people have sworn on the bible and lied their heads off. And people who have affirmed rather than swearing have been prosecuted for perjury.
The truth does not depend on your faith - though if you are a christian I will admit it is likely you have a less good grasp of what counts as truth.
2007-07-21 04:20:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
LOL...nice reasoning.
No, I'm afraid if you perjure yourself and you're found out, you'll still be (legally) punished. I've also heard, although I haven't been to court myself, that they don't actually make people swear on Bibles anymore - and I would hope not. At any rate, it was always just a convention. If a "Christian" really wanted to lie, he'd be as little deterred by his oath as an atheist would be - believe it or not!
2007-07-21 03:52:14 · answer #8 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
some years ago i was a witness for the defence and because i refused to swear on the bible (reason i don't believe in the book or any holy book) i was not allowed to testify, still baffles me to this day what difference it would have made,
2007-07-22 07:17:13 · answer #9 · answered by ICEMAN 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure where you've been living for the past 50 years but in THIS day and age, we swear on a copy of the constitution.
It at least, has the advantage of making sense.
2007-07-21 03:51:34 · answer #10 · answered by Yoda Green 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
They have to, it is what they do in the courts. That is why the law of perjury came into effect, too many people that didn't believe in the bible were lying to the courts. So, a law was enacted saying you can't lie in court. So, nowadays, the bible is just a tradition.
2007-07-21 03:50:18 · answer #11 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 4⤋