Some religious adherents hold beliefs that allow them to make legally binding promises but forbid them to swear an oath before a deity.
Additionally, an individual may decline to take a religious oath due to their personal beliefs or those of their audience.
[1] The right to give an affirmation is now embodied in the Oaths Act 1978, c.19,[2] which prescribes the following form: "I, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm" and then proceed with the words of the oath prescribed by law, omitting any words of imprecation or calling to witness.
The court directed the jury to find Brayn "not guilty" for want of evidence and committed the Quaker "as a concealer of Felony" for "refusing an Oath to Witness for the King".
Another reference appears in the Fourth Amendment, which specifies that all warrants must be supported by evidence given under oath or affirmation.
The nation's 14th president, Franklin Pierce, affirmed the oath upon his March 4, 1853 inauguration, though his reasons for doing so are unclear.