The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life. –1 John 1:1

When Marlon Brando, the renowned actor, was called as a witness in the murder trial of his son, Christian, he refused to take the oath promising to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” Citing religious scruples (or the lack thereof!), Brando refused to call on God as a witness that he was telling the truth. He was allowed to promise without swearing an oath, and he took the witness stand to testify to what he had seen and heard.

When religious sensitivities were more sharply focused than they are today, the very thought of swearing on oath invoking God’s judgment…