How does a non Christian/Atheist living in Christian country swear the oath in court?
In the UK, a member of a non-Christian religion may swear an oath by their own appropriate godhead with an appropriate religious text to hand. There are a number of pre-arranged wordings for all the major religions, though specific wordings may be arranged with the court for less common religions. It should be noted that whilst people are said to ‘swear on the Bible’, the essential part of the oath is that it calls on God as a witness, not the text itself. Many observers of non-Christian religions are comfortable with the notion that they ultimately worship the same God as do Christians. An individual who does not profess to hold any religious belief, or does not wish to swear by their religious beliefs may make an affirmation, reciting the words ‘I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that…’ The ‘affirmation’ is not technically an oath, as there is no appeal to a sacred witness, however, the practical purpose is the same and it holds the same status under law. This ar
