Sunday, July 03, 2005

Judicial Temperament, N.C. Style

We missed this from almost two weeks ago, but when a member of the Islamic Center in Greensboro asked to be sworn in with a copy of the Quran (Koran) during a hearing in front of Guilford Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Albright, the judge turned the person down flat. Then, when asked about his decision by the Greensboro News & Record, Judge Albright said that the law refers to laying one's hand on the "Holy Scriptures," and "everybody understands what the holy scriptures are. If they don't, we're in a mess."

Well, we ARE in a mess, maybe as much from cultural and religious arrogance as from any disagreement about which "holy scriptures" are the best.

Judge Albright seems to think that a potential witness (or juror, for that matter) will be more bound to uphold the truth, swearing on a book he/she doesn't believe in, than taking the oath on the sacred book of his/her religious tradition.

Naturally, the mullahs of the Right are taking up Albright's point of view and proclaiming this just another assault on Christianity. They need to feel victimized on a daily basis.

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