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Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 1:56 am
been called for jury duty or to testify as a witness and actually had to swear on the Bible? Or "so help you God" or anything of that nature? I find this the oddest practice since the Bible itself calls us not to swear? Just curious as to an atheist experience on Bible sweearing I guess.
Here's the article that sparked my post, it even includes a little carlin clip for all you carlin lovers.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 2:08 am
"You do affirm that all the testimony you are about to give in the case now before the court will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; this you do affirm under the pains and penalties of perjury?"
Or
You could just put your hand on the storybook because it comforts people. This can effect the outcome of a trial.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 2:12 am
I would swear on a bible in a heartbeat. Doesn't mean anything to me. I've never had to do it, but I would possibly have to hold back a giggle if I were put in that situation.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 2:28 am
lol --- swearing on the bible. Never had to do it, but it would be funny. I'd certainly do it though. If I lie what happens? Do I get swallowed by a whale or do the towns people stone me?
such sillyness.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 2:32 am
Not on the bible, but there was some god nonsense in the little bailiff speech at my divorce hearing.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 2:57 am
I've served on juries 3 times. In NY you were always given the option to "affirm" rather than play games with that overrated theatrical prop.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 3:11 am
were you presented both options min? or is it just a big generalized speech?
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 10:28 am
I would tell them that if they touch me with that Bible then I'll burst into flames.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I would hold the bible in my hand, lean over it and say "fuck off" over the top of it. Bible = swore upon.
You are currently experiencing a lucky and very brief window of awareness, sandwiched in between two periods of timeless and utter nothingness. So why not make the most of it, and stop wasting your life away trying to convince other people that there is something else? The reality is obvious.
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RE: Has anyone here ever....
December 14, 2011 at 3:53 pm
They made me swear on the bible when I asked for a court-appointed lawyer for that license issue I had a couple months back. I didn't think it was necessary to go through all that when I was just asking for an advocate so I could get them to drop their bullshit.