# Athiest asked to swear an oath -- what would you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736 "2003-07-11T16:02:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/22 "2003-07-12T04:12:54Z")
I’ll swear anything on your god that you ask me to. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/23 "2003-07-12T04:26:56Z")
I’d just go ahead and swear. Not like it matters. It’s the oath that’s important. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/24 "2003-07-12T04:54:27Z")
Could just grab your scrotum with one hand and raise the other, like the Romans did. That’s where the “testi” in testimony comes from. ---
**Author:** ![auliya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@auliya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auliya)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/25 "2003-07-12T12:02:48Z")
I was recently in court (civil, not criminal); the opposition swore on the bible. I just said to the magistrate I wanted to affirm and they had a prepared statement for me to read out. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/26 "2003-07-12T12:54:31Z")
Here in Massachusetts (where the procedure for the appointment of notaries public is actually written into our state constitution), notaries can, by statute, charge as much as $1.25 for the service they provide. Most probably do it for free, however. Justices of the Peace, however, can charge a LOT more for performing wedding ceremonies. I think the JP that married my wife and I charged either $150 or $200. Barry ---
**Author:** ![Yersinia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6bbea6/32.png) [@Yersinia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yersinia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/27 "2003-07-12T15:56:07Z")
At my divorce hearing, I was asked if I would swear to God that I had no intention of going back to my maiden name for purposes of fraud or debt evasion. I said I didn’t believe in God, but was perfectly willing to swear on my life to the truth that I had no intention whatsoever to participate in fraud, debt evasion or other criminal activities (which WAS the truth; in fact the question actually shocked me!), that all I wanted was the legal right to change my name back. This was acceptable and I was granted my divorce plus the right to go back to my former last name. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/28 "2003-07-12T16:10:00Z")
Another athiest checking in. My opinions are very similar to the OP; I’m not a mission to prove She/He/It/Og doesn’t exist or anything. However, on prinicipal I would take an oath with a reference to something I don’t believe in. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736/29 "2003-07-12T16:11:07Z")
would = wouldn’t :smack: :wally [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiest-asked-to-swear-an-oath-what-would-you-do/187736.md?page=1)