Yes, I said it. I don't believe in the Pledge of Allegiance.
But before you scroll all the way down and post a comment saying that I'm crazy and you can't believe I'm posting this on here, let me explain.
For years, I have learned the phrase and said it every morning with my hand over my heart while facing the flag (or North).
But when I was old enough to actually realize what I was saying, I couldn't open my mouth. All I could do was stand there with my hand over my heart.
Because I'm an Atheist.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, for liberty, and justice for all.
Everything else is great. I'm a patriot...I'm all for patriotism and making this country better. But how can we honestly say we're a free country if we address "God" in our pledge to the flag? Is it because it would just "sound too weird" if we took the line "under God" out of it? Would people really have a problem with that?
I know the National Anthem and have gladly sung it everytime I was told to, because I feel no pressure of religion there. I'm singing for my country and my flag, not what my religious beliefs are.
We ARE one nation, but we're under a sky, and stars, and a galaxy that we know nothing about. Why do we have to say we're under God? Because to me...if that were the case, I wouldn't have to write about Global Warming, or Priests getting caught with little underage boys, or how they're selling Jesus, Mary, and Joseph action figures in Wal-Marts now.
Any thoughts?
Haha, sorry, had to do it.
The "Under God" was added into the Pledge during the Red Scare days. Before that, there was nothing about under god in it. I wish we could revert back to the old pledge. :p
Haha, I knew someone would =)
Me too. It would be so much simpler.
But thank you for the history, I actually didn't know that.
The original Pledge of Allegiance didn't have "Under God" in it; that phrase was added in the 1950s.
I remember one of my uncles, who was a young teenager at the time they inserted that line, had a problem saying it because he thought it sounded weird after learning it for so long without that phrase. Now, to children today, it seems almost natural for it to be there, and they'll have problems saying it without that phrase.
But if the children of the 50s were able to eventually adopt the phrase in until it became natural sounding, surely the children of today can learn to do the same to return to the traditional Pledge?
Or maybe children of the 50s were just smarter and were more willing to adapt? :D
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
Good point...I like where you're going with that one.
I think that if they took it out and started teaching today's generation of children the new pledge, eventually hear-say would have it adapt. But you know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks. :/
I have heard that by saying, "under God," that Christians are pushing their beliefs on others. Personally, I am a Christian and I believe in God. I don't know about the action figures in Walmart, that was something new to me, or the priests molesting little boys (its really disgusting), but I do know that there are a lot of Christian principles built into our country. The beautiful thing about the US is we have the choice. You can choose to not say "under God," and I can choose not to say "I pledge allegiance." It sucks to be a minority here because every which way you turn it seems someone is trying to assimilate you into the "norm". Don't believe in the pledge if you don't want to, and don't believe in God. Like I said you have the choice.
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Had we not loved ourselves at all, we could never have been obliged to love anything. So that self-love is the basis of all love.
- Thomas Traherne
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I don't feel as if Christians are pushing their beliefs on me by having to say "Under God," its all in the matter of saying that we're a free country.
And I guess you could argue that we're free to say or not say what we choose, but at the same time I think that if we are a country built on the principle of freedom, then we should reinforce that by making the pledge a recitation towards the patriotism of our country, not our underlying religion.
I can't argue with that. :)
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Had we not loved ourselves at all, we could never have been obliged to love anything. So that self-love is the basis of all love.
- Thomas Traherne
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Well, while keeping the phrase in there might not be viewed as pushing Christianity, adding it into there in the first place was.
They added the phrase to help separate us from the "atheist Commies" during the Red Scare; and they did so full-well knowing what it implied.
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
that everyone else was as open as you are! I just don't want God in the Pledge because no god is mentioned in the Constitution and, therefore, making schoolchildren say "under God" is unconstitutional, IMO. But do you happen to know if it's actually mandatory to say the entire Pledge?
~Violinstef
Alexa xo
I understand what you are saying, & I appreciate everyones religious beliefs....I personally dont believe in religion. But, whenever "Under God" was put in the pledge, it was put there & its been like that. You dont have to believe in god, but appreciate that this is our pledge & thats how it is. Many people in my class act like they just found out it was like that, & raise hell about it. & I dont believe it should be changed because then a lot of people will want other things to change too & then where would it stop?
Like Christmas, if you dont believe in it dont celebrate it.....its a free country.
PS money uses in God we Trust & nobody will stop using that.
This is not directed directly to you, just in general.
Alexa
If "under god" was in the pledge originally, but it wasn't. That's the main problem with it. Before, the pledge was all about patriotism -- not about religion.
The only thing that we would want is the reversion back to the original pledge. =) Thinking that then the people'll go after Christmas is a logical fallacy [slippery slope].
Well actually, the new U.S. Dollar Bill Coin that was created this year has excluded the "In God We Trust."
But the pledge hasn't been like that, apparently. The "Under God" wasn't put in until the 1950's, according to other commenters and my own research.
So if we put it in that easily, we could just as easily take it out.
Psst :)
"In God We Trust" was added at about the same time ;) and for many of the same reasons.
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"when you have nothing else to say, "Fwonk" is always the perfect thing."
"yeah well, fwonk"
--Devon
Fanaile Essence,
A-Team Member
Are you saying that if we change one thing about this country, then it will instigate other change, and that would be bad? Because remember, if it were not for courageous individuals in years past, neither African-Americans nor women (like you and I) would have the right to vote. Change is good.
~Violinstef
"Everything else is great. I'm a patriot...I'm all for patriotism and making this country better. But how can we honestly say we're a free country if we address "God" in our pledge to the flag? Is it because it would just "sound too weird" if we took the line "under God" out of it? Would people really have a problem with that?" Yes. People would have a problem with that. There are many somewhat extremeist Christins who actually want to rewrite the pledge to make it read "I plegde Allegiance to the Christian Flag..." Those people have a hell of a lot more buddies up in D.C. than atheists. Apparently, we are the most distrusted minority in the states, which is kind of depressing.
And a lot of less extremist people would get pretty pissed as well. A lot of, and I hate to say it because I know it doesn't apply to all of you, Christians seem to think that they are being discriminated against when their religion isn't given special privileges.
Another example would be CCD. When I was in elementary school, a lot of Christian courses started before the school day ended. They were given permission to leave school early. At that point in my life, I went to Hebrew school, which met on Wednesdays. Do you think that people would have been happy to let me leave a little early every Wednesday to go to Hebrew School if I had to? Or, as a matter of fact, any other class?
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"
Douglas Adams
"That is not dead which can eternal lie / And with strange aeons even death may die."
H. P. Lovecraft
They truly feel they're being discriminated against? I have complete respect for people who can believe in God, or any higher being for that matter...because it shows a sign of faith and holding to what they believe in. But I don't go around going "how in the world can you believe in that stuff?" and in turn I think it would be appropriate if I didn't have Christians saying that I'm wrong or being discriminatory, either.
Because compared to other Atheists I know, I'm actually really considerate.
But that's weird that they let the kids leave early, it had to have been hard not understanding why you couldn't leave early but they could.
I just think it's funny that all of today's largest discrepancies seem to be over "what the Bible says." Like abortion, gay marriage, the death penalty, etc.
"Why do we have to say we're under God? Because to me...if that were the case, I wouldn't have to write about Global Warming, or Priests getting caught with little underage boys, or how they're selling Jesus, Mary, and Joseph action figures in Wal-Marts now."
i'm confused. What does saying "under God" in the pledge have to do with global warming or action figures?
I was referencing the fact that (in my own personal opinion), if God were around, he wouldn't go for downsizing Jesus to an action figure or the aforementioned.
Sorry for the misunderstanding :/
In 1954 President Eisenhower signed into law, the Pledge of Allegiance would contain the words "one nation under God" the next year they added "in God We Trust" to our currency. It's times like those, like times like these that make it seem like the government is busier undermining our best interests by undermining the Constitution than it is acting on behalf of our best interests.
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
Very nicely stated.
And may I say you have a lovely neck.
What time do you have? I mean is the time posted way off or is that you and the time your computer is set to?
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
no, that's really weird. I have 7:15 p.m. hahaha.
I didn't think it was weird to tell you have a lovely neck so don't worry, I wont.
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
haha no, it's weird that there was a time difference.
That was just a bad syntax joke. Your picture sort of looks like a neck.
Restoring Faith In Humanity One Acquaintance At A Time
It's for one.org
Against poverty.
I figure I can't go over and help out myself yet, so I might as well help in the ways I know how.
they should change that b/c not everyone has or believes in the same god...every1 is different and it doesn't matter what some1 wants every1 2 say so they should change it for the sake of ppl's beliefs nd not 1 person's beliefs.
we call ourselves a free country, because we are one. there is no law you have to say the pledge. The government has the freedom to put under god in the pledge and you have to freedom not to say it