does it mean anything? What actually are you swearing to? I know being a Christian, you are swearing before God. But what does it mean for a non believer? Just curious.
2007-12-07 08:59:28 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This wasn't meant to be a disrespectful question. I am honestly wanting to know. Some of you say there is no God but to me there is. All I want is for you to respect my views as much as I do yours.
2007-12-07 09:09:23 · update #1
I know that you don't have to swear on the bible.
2007-12-07 09:12:36 · update #2
And I've never been to court, yet. LOL
2007-12-07 09:17:22 · update #3
I don't really believe in Him but if I was sworn in it's more of a personal oath. It means something because you're giving your word. It doesn't have to be about God at all. I realize that wouldn't hold everybody but it should.
2007-12-07 09:02:45 · answer #1 · answered by aeseeke 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am an atheist and recently testified as a witness in a court case. All I was asked to do was to swear to tell the truth in my testimony. There was no bible to place my hand on, no swearing allegiance to any god(s). Why do you need the threat of some invisible, imaginary god(s) to tell the truth? I think that says more about the lack of morals and ethics in the religious person than it does in the atheist.
2007-12-07 09:25:15 · answer #2 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) Swearing on a bible means nothing no matter who does it, since there is no God to swear before.
2) Some Christians, such as Quakers, do not ever sware. Like non-believers, they simply affirm before they judge that the tell the truth.
2007-12-07 09:04:01 · answer #3 · answered by neil s 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I hate to answer a question with a question...Here goes...Since when does a belief in God mean that a person is believing in a religion? Come on now the two can be independent and for many are. Of course there are those of us who question and those that merely don't believe in God, but does the mere mention do anything other than IMPLY religion? PEACE!
2007-12-07 09:11:46 · answer #4 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same thing it means for you, considering that nobody swears on the bible. You affirm to the court that your statements will be true. If they can prove you did that and then lied, it's called a felony. They impeached Clinton for that.
2007-12-07 09:09:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To answer simply, yes.
I might be morally ambivalent... but there is one thing I'd never do... I usually don't lie. I might make it easy for people to misunderstand me, but my every word is literally true (apart from misspelled ones, they're just meant to be true).
If I swear to tell the truth, I will tell the truth. It's an important part of what makes me, me. There are no circumstancs in which I'd break an oath like that.
2007-12-07 09:29:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would refuse to be sworn in under the Christian God. I would explain to the judge that I don't believe in the God of Abraham, so asking me to swear to tell the truth under him is meaningless. I would then tell him I'd be happy to swear to tell the truth so help me Lord and Lady, and I would mean it.
)O(
2007-12-07 09:09:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
People no longer swear to God on Bibles in US Courts.
2007-12-07 09:03:01 · answer #8 · answered by Skalite 6 · 7⤊ 1⤋
You don't have to swear if you are against the concept of "swearing". Upon your notification to the court that you won't "swear", you will be allowed to affirm, that is give your solemn word, that you will tell the truth.
2007-12-07 09:07:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Does swearing "before God" to tell the truth really mean anything? Seems pretty danged contradictory to me.
2007-12-07 09:09:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋