An oath by any other name…
Marc
No, Marc; since an oath is a solemn utterance, by definition, then someone who doesn’t hold to any solemn utterances will not utter an oath. This is in no way comparable to a rose.
The oath is a symbolic act. A witness who is an atheist can’t take an oath upon the Bible, tell falsehoods, and then rely upon the fact that he is an atheist to escape perjury.
Funny, but one of Turkey’s big problems today is that it is a secular state, as defined in its constitution. Otherwise, it would have a good chance of being leader of the Arab world (as it once was under the Ottomans), instead of a country futilely knocking on the door of the EU.
A book I have recently read, “The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of the World Order” postulates more religious sidings in the future, so the comment that we (being Westerners) should side with Christians in the Balkans might become a reality. As was pointed out in that book, communism/capitalism rivalry was an eyeblink compared to the depth and extent of Christian/Muslim rivalry.
Dave, my point is that an atheist or a believer whose religion prohibits oath-taking will be subject to perjury charges if testifying falsely regardless of the fact that said witness did not take an oath prior to testifying.
MEBuckner, thanks for that link, very interesting.
Back when I was still Catholic, I got engaged to my hubby the atheist. We decided not to go through the big Catholic ceremony, since it seemed to be a farce to have someone who didn’t believe in God become married “in God.” If he was willing to promise to be married in a God he didn’t believe in, how meaningful were his other vows.
Senator Sessions seems to have the opposite opinion - or maybe he thinks like they did when they added the “under God” part to the constitution, that atheists get struck down by a bolt of lightning when uttering those words and then you are rid of that problem.
Yes, but latinos and blacks are typically just as religious, if not more religious, as whites. Admit it, you just threw in that “white” crack out of reflex, didn’t you?
And all you have to do is promise to tell the truth. You don’t have to use a bible, many people don’t. And you don’t have to mention God.
This Just In: President Bush chimes in with an official “maybe” to stem cell research.
Hmmm… this probably wasn’t the right thread for that. Oh well, somebody’ll start one shortly, I’m sure.
The word is ‘separate’, not ‘seperate’. 2 E’s, 2 A’s.