# If I had to swear instead of affirm... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196 "2007-09-06T02:19:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/1 "2007-09-06T02:19:20Z")
I recently re-enlisted. I advised the career counselor that I was going to affirm rather than swear. She asked me if I knew the difference. (To me, that should be none of her business.) I told her I am an atheist and will not swear. She said that is no problem, I could still swear to God. WTF!!! So, my commander, also an atheist, was unused to leaving off the last line, and he said, “So help you God” He knew he blew it, but no one else did. He spoke the last line softly. I said, “so help me Minnie Mouse” just as softly. Do I have to re-enlist again? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/2 "2007-09-06T02:22:06Z")
[QUOTE=SSG Schwartz] He knew he blew it, but no one else did. He spoke the last line softly. I said, “so help me Minnie Mouse” just as softly. [/QUOTE] You could have slipped in an “Og” instead of ‘God’, and gotten points for getting a Dope shout-out! :smack: Tripler Who’s your career counselor, Slug Signorino? ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/3 "2007-09-06T02:28:11Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] You could have slipped in an “Og” instead of ‘God’, and gotten points for getting a Dope shout-out! :smack: Tripler Who’s your career counselor, Slug Signorino? [/QUOTE] Couldn’t do it. The Commander had a 1920’s style Death Ray 😛 SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/4 "2007-09-06T09:03:03Z")
One doesn’t have to be an atheist to affirm, either. I believe the Society of Friends(Quakers) will not swear oaths by the name of God. See James 5:12. Me, I have no problem with doing it either way. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/5 "2007-09-06T13:23:22Z")
Does swearing in and of itself–not swearing to God, not swearing so help you God, not swearing on a Bible–imply belief in a deity? I’ve always been a little confused about that. ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/6 "2007-09-06T13:33:44Z")
I always say things like,“so help me Bob.” If you act like nothing happened people will just let things commence as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/7 "2007-09-06T13:52:14Z")
Just say so help you god. Its an automatic out since you don’t believe in god the oath can’t be held against you later. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/8 "2007-09-06T13:58:30Z")
[QUOTE=Lanzy] Just say so help you god. Its an automatic out since you don’t believe in god the oath can’t be held against you later. [/QUOTE] Oh man, so I can lie in court? Awesome! Nah, don’t worry about it judge, I didn’t mean what I said in the first place so it’s all cool. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/9 "2007-09-06T14:37:15Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] One doesn’t have to be an atheist to affirm, either. I believe the Society of Friends(Quakers) will not swear oaths by the name of God. See James 5:12. Me, I have no problem with doing it either way. [/QUOTE] James? I thought it was in one of the Gospels, where Jesus says, “Do not swear. Say a thing is so or a thing is not so. Under no circumstances say, a thing is not muthafuckin so.” ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/10 "2007-09-06T14:37:25Z")
As I understand things you don’t have to reup. The crucial thing is your intent and did you understand that you were making a commitment that carries penalties if not carried out. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/11 "2007-09-06T14:48:53Z")
Hey, I’m a Christian and won’t swear because Jesus said not to do it, so that settles it for me. But, on whether this implies any wiggle room on your reenlistment, keep the great wisdom of the Disney Universe as testified to my Harlan Ellison: Nobody fucks with the Mouse. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-had-to-swear-instead-of-affirm/418196/12 "2007-09-06T15:08:18Z")
From the Sermon on the Mount: > [@Jesus](#): > > Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.” But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:33-37.