Comment

Comment by Laura Scattergood on 9th mo. 3, 2014 at 12:26am

This is something I have wondered about too, not the tie, but about how to behave in court.  I once had to go to court as part of my job and I had anxiety for a couple of days before.  I was worried there would be a flag salute, and that there would be that "All Rise" thing that I have seen on television Maybe I would get fired if I wasn't able to do all the required obeisance .  It turned out to be a sort of thing where the judge was on television and we never did have to stand up . What about saying "Your Honor"? to the judge?  I don't know that I would mind saying that.  But I have often mused about the things that got Quakers thrown in jail for disrespecting judges and considered what one would have to do to be match that in modern times. This video answers that question partly.  I also thought, maybe we'd have to, instead of saying "Your Honor" to a judge, say a judge named Robert Smith,  we'd have to say,  Hey, Bob, how's it goin' Smitty?  To do something as radical as what Quakers once did.  I have also always wondered and sometimes asked, but with no replies as yet, do British Quakers do any sort of curtsy or bowing to royalty?  Also,  I have a lot of friends who are serious practitioners of Guru based religions and with great love they may bow or really just throw themselves down in front of their beloved teacher.  I have a Jewish friend who does attend teaching by such Eastern Teachers now and then.  She will listen to the teachings that apply but will not do any sort of bowing, I guess that's kind of how I feel, but I must admit, when I hear a really great teacher of another tradition speak,  I do not feel a huge "stop" regarding showing physical honor to them through bowing or something as I would towards a political figurehead.  Great topic and glad to hear of Scott's response.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 8th mo. 22, 2014 at 1:19am

It really can come down to the hat thing, so far as you understand the institutionalized intention of using secular power to intimidate people.

As a defendant, I won my case (after some bad moments) but ended up in a sort of Devil's bargain situation: relying on legal precedent to protect myself from the inconvenience of being kicked out of court and/or jailed -- when it's really about relying on God's power and authority over human law.