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As an atheist in charge of my own morality, I would have been sorely tempted to do as George Burns did, playing god in the movie "Oh God!". He said, in response to the oath request, "So help me, me."
Kudos to you, MercuryCougar, for standing up for your beliefs.
Annoyed. Pulled jury duty this week. Voir dire swearing included the phrase "...so help me god." Good grief, I didn't think any state was still backward enough to do that?!
I put down my hand and didn't swear to it. Then we had a short break. In the break, I went to the court clerk, let her know I was an atheist, and politely asked for an alternate swearing that didn't include any mention of god, if I happened to be chosen for actual jury duty. She took my name and juror number, and said she would let the judge know. I saw her go in and talk to him.
It was my fate to make it through the voir dire process, and be selected to sit on the jury. We stood to be sworn in, and I put up my hand, expecting to hear an alternate swearing that didn't include mention of god. No such luck. When I heard that "...so help me god", I put my hand down and said "No". Of course all heads swung in my direction...
Then I immediately said "Excuse me, your Honor, but I'm an atheist and I requested an alternate swearing that didn't include mention of any gods. It's against my personal code of ethics to swear by something I don't think is real." He looked at me in annoyance, and said "Well I wasn't informed that you wanted an alternate swearing. Can you do your job as an impartial juror or not?"
Of course, I said yes, but I'm a bit annoyed. I'm really tired of atheists being treated like redheaded stepchildren here in America, to be brushed aside as if we don't count. If people were being asked to raise their hand and swear to Satan or Allah in a courtroom in the USA, you damned well bet there would be fast changes happening. What bugs me is I don't know if it was the court clerk who made the end run around me, or if the judge himself decided to shun me.
And believers wonder why we seem annoyed at the system.
I find it very interesting that there are still states in this nation that include the phrase "...so help me god" when swearing in. I was pretty certain they had done away with the Bible as an officiating device for swearing in but I also thought they'd taken out the phrase "...so help me god."
I think it was brave of you to do what you did and I completely agree with the way you handled it. What state are you in, by the way?
On a related topic... A guy I work with was recently called up for jury duty and he said that the majority of the people quoted that verse (I'm paraphrasing) "Judge not lest ye be judged" to get out of jury duty. According to him it worked. So keep that in mind next time you get called for jury duty.
On a related topic... A guy I work with was recently called up for jury duty and he said that the majority of the people quoted that verse (I'm paraphrasing) "Judge not lest ye be judged" to get out of jury duty. According to him it worked. So keep that in mind next time you get called for jury duty.
Yeah it might get me out of it, but I'd feel like a dirty lying hypocrite if I weaseled out that way. I just can't do it, I have this compulsion to be honest.
Yeah it might get me out of it, but I'd feel like a dirty lying hypocrite if I weaseled out that way. I just can't do it, I have this compulsion to be honest.
Yeah, but if you just won an all-expense paid trip to Tahiti the same week you were supposed to have jury duty... That phrase just might come in handy.
I find it very interesting that there are still states in this nation that include the phrase "...so help me god" when swearing in. I was pretty certain they had done away with the Bible as an officiating device for swearing in but I also thought they'd taken out the phrase "...so help me god."
I think it was brave of you to do what you did and I completely agree with the way you handled it. What state are you in, by the way?
WOW coming from someone in MS Here in backwoods bible belt I feel certain that bibles and gods are big in courtrooms. I have never made it far enough to find out when I have been called for jury duty, but as one politician got in trouble for saying, around here many do cleave tightly to their guns and bibles.
No bible in my house, but I do have guns
Quote:
North Carolina's state law "allows witnesses preparing to testify in court to take their oath in three ways: by laying a hand over 'the Holy Scriptures,' by saying 'so help me God' without the use of a religious book, or by an affirmation using no religious symbols."
Yeah, but if you just won an all-expense paid trip to Tahiti the same week you were supposed to have jury duty... That phrase just might come in handy.
Nah, then I'd defer the duty. You can do that if you show them you have travel plans. They won't let you out of duty, but they'll move it to some later date within the next three months. I've done that before; the only issue with that is that they'll only defer it once; you can't defer the deferment
WOW coming from someone in MS Here in backwoods bible belt I feel certain that bibles and gods are big in courtrooms. I have never made it far enough to find out when I have been called for jury duty, but as one politician got in trouble for saying, around here many do cleave tightly to their guns and bibles.
I'm honestly not sure if they use the Bible in courtrooms here. I've never been in a Mississippi courtroom so I really don't know. For some reason, though, I thought I'd heard that no state uses the Bible as part of an official swearing-in for a courtroom unless requested by the person doing the swearing-in.
I am both atheist and agnostic. (Yes, one can be both).
I think it was appropriate for the original poster to do exactly what she did. If swearing by god violates her principles then she has every right to refuse to do it and ask for an alternative. I don't see that behavior as extreme anti-theism or intolerant or making a mountain out of a mole hill, or forcing anti-theism on the court.
Yet, personally, I think I feel similarly to Chango about being asked to swear by God in a courtroom. To me, I see it as perfunctory cultural ritual remaining from tradition. I take my oath to tell the truth or to due my duty seriously. But, the phrase "so help me god" carries about the same weight to me as saying "bless you" after someone sneezes. Whenever I am in a situation in which the word god is used and applied to me, I become pantheist for that instant and interpret the word god as everything that naturally exists. I do not expect other atheists to be that way though. I am ok if they have a real problem with that word.
I do not believe the swearing by god should be used in our courtrooms, and I will act to get it removed for the sake of my fellow citizens who are bothered by it.
I've never seen a bible in a courtroom in Georgia. I have served twice on juries(at age 31! Are we running out of people?), and had to testify in a couple of criminal cases involving crimes against my business. Nor have I ever heard God mentioned at all.
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Here in backwoods bible belt I feel certain that bibles and gods are big in courtrooms. I have never made it far enough to find out when I have been called for jury duty, but as one politician got in trouble for saying, around here many do cleave tightly to their guns and bibles. 
