Source: The Daily News
On July 14, 2005 The Daily News ran an editorial in reaction to two North Carolina judges declaring that Muslims could not legally take oath in court on the Qur'an. "America is steeped in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Our country is composed of Christians, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, and all manner of religious groups... If the law says an oath must be taken on the 'Holy Scriptures,' then that means, we believe, any text of a religious body... There are atheists who testify in court. There are also people who will lay their hands on the Bible and purposely tell a lie. There are liars who would swear on the lives of their grandchildren. An honest person, whether he or she is religious or not, will tell the truth no matter where in what deity, if any, they declare their purpose. It boils down to individual belief. A believer adheres to the teachings of the text with which he or she is comfortable and familiar. It's a matter of conscience and tolerance for the rest of us, traits we claim to defend and uphold."