The new version of swaring under oath:

"Do you sware to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God, Buddah, Muhammad, Satan, and Jehova? If you believe in reincarnation, do you sware that if you lie under oath you will agree to return in your next life as a fly that lives off eating shit? If you are atheist, do you promise to tell the truth, and agree to show the judge your hands and take off your shoes to ensure no fingers or toes are crossed. If you believe or worship in the following religions noted below, do you sware to the higher power not to lie:
Witchcraft
Wicca
Witta
Pagan
Neo-pagan
Ceremonial Magick
Kemetic
Tameran
Discordian
Erisian
Chaos Magician
Gardnerian
Alexandrian
Reclaiming
Dianic
Norse
Asatru
Odinism
Shamanism
Hindu
Huna
Mama Chi
“Native” or Indiginous
Druid
Earth Religion
The Craft
Old Religion
Voodoo
Vodun
Santeria
Yoruba
Golden Dawn
Circle
Yoruba
Bruja
Cunandero
Silva Mind Control
Recon
Reconstructionist
Masonic Lodge
Oddfellows Lodge
Church of All Worlds
Laveyan Satanism
Crowley
If you're religion or secular belief was not noted, do you sware to not only tell the truth, but not sue this Judge for infringement of your religious practices?
You know, to hell with all that. There is afterall a 'Separation of Church and State.' Why don't you get on the stand and say whatever the fuck you want to without consequence. No need to bring a higher power into all this. Lie if you want, make up stories, do or say whatever makes you happy. Afterall, the 10 Commandments were removed from this building. Nobody gives a shit what you say. Nobody gives a damn to know that our laws and this country was built on Christianity. Thou Shall now steal, murder, commit adultery, give false testimony, covet, take no day holy, take the Lord's name in vain, and make yourself an idol. The prisoner may now me released, as our laws in general infringe on other people's religious practices. And by the way, will someone PLEASE change the Pledge of Allegiance, so that every religion is included. Better yet, can we ditch the pledge all together. While we're at it, let's dig up our forefathers graves and shit on their faces for creating such a horrible country that upsets and offends so many people."

Good one. Answer me this. Why do the ten commandments monument in Alabama have to be removed, and yet there is a statue at the Supreme Court building in DC that has Moses holding the Ten Commandments?

Because most of us wanted it gone. Was the monument put there by one of the judges under the cloak of night?

Does anyone here really believe that someone swearing to God while taking the oath actually means anything at all?

What, as soon as you swear under God you suddenly are unable to lie? If this was true every person who is sworn in and says "I didn't do it" should be immediately exonerated of all charges.

Come on guys, the words have no meaning 99% of the time to the liars, they commit crimes so what difference does swearing in make?

It's really a moot point as far as trials go, someones always lying regardless of their religious beliefs.

Because the lawyers are going about the wrong way. They are arguing that the ten commandents are the religous basis for our laws. They should forget the religious aspects and argue its historical basis for the very same reason there is a statue of Moses holding those very same ten commandents at the Supreme Court. Maybe then they can keep their statue...

If a person was devout in their religion, then supposedly their morals should prevent them from lying. But the purpose of the oath is to declare in front of the court that the testimony you are providing is the truth. If it is found that you are lying, then you may be held accountable for perjury and may face charges. The words may not have any meaning to liars, but it does have some purpose.

I saw a recent CNN poll where it said 75% wanted it to remain.

I've seen CNN polls that said 80% of Americans believe Elvis works in a Sam's Club in Sheboygan . . .

Polls mean dick.

I thought he was working at a Kmart in Hoboken...............

If I have to testify in court and they try and get me to swear on anything but my own word they're going to have to stop for discussion...

Brent

Don;t worry Brent, I recently served on a jury. In the state of Maryland you swear that you are telling the truth but there is no bible or mention of God or anything.

Paraphrasing "Do you swear the testimony that you are about to give is the truth...."

Supposedly because the Supreme Court thing is part of a larger historical tableau with other religions or events also featured.

Then why have a bible in the room and the words "so help me god" in the oath?

Wouldn't "Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" accomplish the same thing?

There is no statue of Moses holding the Commandments in the Supreme Court. There ARE, however, four references to it, but every one of them is historically based, not christian based.

1. Eastern Entrance frieze has two male figures, "The Majesty of Law" and "The Power of Government." Between them is a SINGLE tablet, not two, with the roman numerals 1 through 10 (but no words).

2. South Courtroom frieze - Moses is among many historic lawgivers (Menes, Hammurabi, Moses, Solomon, Lycurgus, Solon, Draco, Confucius, Augustus, Justinian, Mohammed, Charlemagne, King John, St. Louis, Hugo Grotius, William Blackstone, John Marshall, and Napoleon). The tablets he holds are blank. He is not depicted any more prominently than the others.

3. The Oak courtroom doors. On the inside of the door, on the bottom, there is a carving of two tablets, again with only roman numerals...no words.

4. East Pediment (rear of the building), there is a depiction of Moses, Confucious and Solon, representing three great societies. It is a historical depiction. (Note also that the Tortoise and the Hare are depicted in this sculpture).

Get rid of the 10 commandments in Alabama. Seperation of church and state. Crystal clear! They can push their religon on people in different ways.

I'll ask again, what religion are they pushing? What religion is being established?

And it spelled swearing.

Christianity. I was going to say something about the spelling of swearing, but thought that if it went that long with no one saying anything...that it wasn't worth it.

"We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."--James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution

Interesting link about that quote:

Separation of Church and State

Note this paragraph: "The only problem with the above is, no such quote has ever been found among any of James Madison's writings. None of the biographers of Madison, past or present have ever run across such a quote, and most if not all would love to know where this false quote originated. Apparently, David Barton did not check the work of the secondary sources he quotes."

I find it kind of odd that if you google that phrase, NONE of the pages that push it as true show WHERE it came from - what's the original source? What writing of Madison's did it come from? (As in Jefferson's letter about the wall of separation of church and state).

Nicely done Mobycat!

:rolleyes:

What people fail to understand is what the meaning of "Separation of Church and State" actually is, or the history of it.
Thomas Jefferson put a stop to religious persecution, by Act of Congress, with his document: "Statutes for Religious Freedom in Virginia", which abolished the Anglican state-controlled church, replacing it with Freedom of Religion, that is freedom of different Christian churches, to worship in their own way, without being persecuted and punished.

This is the real meaning of the First Amendment Clause of our United States Constitution, which reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." James Madison had this clause put into the Constitution, in order that the government would never again force citizens to ATTEND a state-controlled church, such as the Anglican Church in Virginia had been. This is the true meaning of the phrase: "Separation of the Church from interference by the State." Now, all the different Christian denominations could worship God in their own way, and preach the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ wherever they wished.

Separation of Church and State does NOT mean that there will be no religious references in State facilities, organizations, buildings, etc. It simply means that the State can not force it's citizens to practice a particular religion.

So, if you're FOR separation of Church and State, then great, I hope you are. But if you're against having any form of religious statements in those State Facilities, then you're against Freedom of Speech, which is entirely different then the Separation of Church and State issue.

What branch of christianity? Why not Judaism? What branch of Judaism?

Agreed

I am actually excercising my right of freedom of speech by being against having any form of religious statments in state facilities. I am not loooking to start a big religion debate, but why not have writings from Mohammed, Zeus, or David Koresh? All religons are based on faith and not real facts. If I have faith that I believe that a bananna is a god and I worship it, should I be able to have a bannana peal or a Chiquita sticker in a court house? Law is based on fact, not that we belive you are guilty so you are automaticaly guilty. The 10 commandments have no place in the court. This is a trial by peers, not a trial by god! The definition of one of the 10 commandments, keep the sabath, was changed by the church...thus breaking the 10 commandments.

Sunday is not the sabath

So then someone can have a monument put in a government facility that is reflective of satanism and you won't have a problem with it?