Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!drutx!slb
From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Swearing in Court
Message-ID: <23@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 10:31:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: drutx.23
Posted: Thu Sep 26 10:31:20 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 05:36:36 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 39

>
>I notice that in TV court scenes (shaky evidence) and in the
>court system of Georgia a witness is required to raise his
>right hand and repeat (approximately):
>
>"I swear (or affirm) that I will tell the truth, the whole
>truth, and nothing but the truth...so help me God."
>
>Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}
>

I was in court recently as a juror.  I would never swear on a Bible,
since I don't consider it a valid source of my religion (and I think 
it's a HORRIBLE book.)  I am a Buddhist/Hindu/pagan, and swearing by one 
god would seem silly to me (none, lots, or "so help me Goddess" would 
feel better...). As a result, I noted the oaths with some interest.  

There was no Bible used, and no phrase "so help me God" in any
oath, from the jurors' oath, to the witnesses'.  I believe they did 
use the word "swear" as opposed to "affirm", which would bother Quakers, 
but I wasn't really watching for that one.

TV probably just isn't accurate.  Or it reflects the way things used
to be, back in the old days when everyone just assumed you were a
Christian.  (Unfortunately, we have a lot of people living in the 
past still).  Perhaps this is different in other states, too.
-- 

                                     Sue Brezden
                                     
Real World: Room 1B17                Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb
            AT&T Information Systems
            11900 North Pecos
            Westminster, Co. 80234
            (303)538-3829 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Your god may be dead, but mine aren't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com