... in California involves neither the use of a bible nor the invocation of "god" in swearing to tell the truth.

The witness raises his or her right hand and is asked, in more or less these words, "Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth in the matter now pending before this court?"

The old oath that you see on TV ("Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you god?") has not been used in any court in which I have ever appeared in more than 25 years as a lawyer.

BTW, I was just in a court in Colorado and saw witnesses sworn to testify. No bible, no "god".

----- jim o\-S