Re: Swearing on the Bible


Martin wrote:

> You can refuse to do it, I have. Simply affirm instead

Indeed. Unfortunately, some tribunals still see the choice as
significant, although they shouldn't.

Sed quaere. Why have two different methods if the choice isn't meant to
have significance?

For me its more complicated, if I were asked what my religion was
(which is the formal question posed in the rubric), I would say
"Christian" (which is one of the choices). I would have to refuse to
swear on the (I think quite reasonable) ground that my understanding of
my religious obligations is that I should not swear. Indeed I find the
holiding of bible and swearing on it (as if this had some magical
significance) rather disturbing.

A friend (and senior cleric) told me he had the same disquiet, but
would swear because he felt that he (obvious man of cloth) would
confuse people if he refused to.

Much better to abandon the system, surely?

Francis

.

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