How can you testify under oath as an atheist?

Question

How can you testify under oath as an atheist?

Answer 1

most courts do not say so help me God anymore so what

Answer 2

You can simply affirm that you will tell the truth. There is no requirement that you say anything about God.

Answer 3

by the way of Lucifer.

Answer 4

unless you have a time machine to go back to a trial hundreds of years ago before the US, then you will not be asked to, let alone required, to invoke religion as part of your oath.

Answer 5

Good question!

Answer 6

Most courts don't even have "so help you God" anymore.

The bailiff's spiel in CA is:

Do you solemnly affirm that the testimony you may give in this cause now pending before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Answer 7

This is the question of the week! Here is what is out of the Encyclopedia. Separation of church and state is a political and legal doctrine that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other.[1] The term most often refers to the combination of two principles: secularity of government and freedom of religious exercise.[2]

Answer 8

Many jurisdictions have an option to "solemnly affirm" rather than "swear".  At law, there's no difference between an affirmation and an oath; both create the same legal obligation to tell the truth.

Yet there is a perception in some circles that judges and jurors put more weight in an oath than an affirmation, so some groups of witnesses (i.e. police) rarely affirm.

Answer 9

You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, do so with an understanding that breaking your vow would place you under penalty of perjury, and you just leave God out of it.

"So help you God" is kind of an empty promise, because nobody really is able to identify what the so-called God might do to punish a perjurer.