Other texts are mentioned here, but the one that caused the controversy in the first place was the Qur’an. Why is this a bad idea? Because, as I discuss in reference to Islam in The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades), the idea that all these texts teach the same values is a multiculturalist dogma with no basis in fact. “ACLU Sues N.C. To Allow Various Religious Texts For Oaths,” from WRAL.com, with thanks to Tim:
RALEIGH, N.C. — The religious texts of Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and faiths other than Christianity should be allowed in North Carolina courts for oaths promising truthful testimony, the ACLU argued in a lawsuit filed against the state Tuesday.
State law allows witnesses preparing to testify in court to take their oath either by laying a hand over a “Holy Scripture,” by saying “so help me God” without the use of a religious book or by using no religious symbols.
“We hope that the court will issue a ruling that the phrase “holy scripture” includes the Quran, Old Testament, and Bhagavad-Gita in addition to the Christian Bible,” said Jennifer Rudinger, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina….
The ACLU last month called on the state Administrative Office of the Courts to adopt a policy allowing use of the Quran and other religious texts in North Carolina courtrooms. The request came after the two top judges in Guilford County decided that Muslims could not legally take an oath on the Quran.