Should we change the pledge of allegiance?

Question

Instead of "One Nation Under God," we should change it to "One Nation Under Freedom" Jesus and his stupid bible has no place in modern society. I believe that anyone who inject religion in government should be punished and sent to a camp for tolerance training.

Answer 1

Easiest way to change it "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands indivisible with liberty and justice for all." Simply removing the "under God" barely even interupts the rhythm of the pledge and makes it non-exclusionary.

Answer 2

Yes, it definately should be changed. What an anti-american sentiment..how does 'under god' allow for religious freedom in any way? Washington, Lincoln, and Adams would be horrified if they saw how religion has flowed into politics. This country was not founded on Christianity..it was secularism..

If anything, there were native americans here by the millions for a long time before the pilgrims came and the pilgrims didn't make any attempt to assimilate into their religious culture...

Freedom is about exactly that..not being persecuted for your particular beliefs. I know all about this. I grew up in a country where I went to sleep at night wondering if a bomb was going to come through the roof in the middle of the night in the name of a religion that I never believed in.

Should I go to Cuba or some other Communist country like one of the answerers suggested? No. I bought my right to be here just like everyone else. My husband 'walked the wall' in the Gulf War, he protected this country for well over ten year while I took care of his children and his home..yes, even atheists can do that. We also pay taxes, vote, and drive...surprised?

So how about it? Why doesn't this country remove the 'under God" and do more than 'theoretically' allow all beliefs..

Answer 3

Under God was added to the pledge within the last century. The US had a bicentennial a few decades ago. So yes we should return it to the original and remove God from the lines. to keep it there is to disgrace those who broke out of religious oppression to form the US's original government.

If you think it has always been there then go read an old Harpers and educate yourself.

To the below statement:
"That's really funny! because our fore-fathers said that this nation would never stand without an ethic of God. Read your history lately?"

You do know that the greatest fear the founding fathers had was to fall into religious rule like most of Europe. Also the majority of those who signed the Declaration were NOT Christian,l but rather transcendentalists and universalists. You should start reading primary sources and not text books that rewrite history. By the by the civil war was an economic war, the slavery issue was added to drum up more support after the public started protesting.

Learn to research.

Answer 4

Dear revengli,

i think in changing the pledge of allegiance while you may be making a strong political statement about a separation between church and state. You are also trying to change the past --- where many of our founding fathers founded this nation and many of the freedoms we enjoy in it on the basis of Biblical principals.

The pledge of allegiance does not say one nation under God to say that everyone in this nation has to believe in God- but just that the founders founded this country with the belief that it is a country that God blesses and looks over. i don't think in saying the pledge anyone is making a statement about what they personally feel about God.

The beautiful part about this country is that you can propose it and if you can get enough people to agree it can come to a vote and maybe even pass...

kindly,

Nickster

Answer 5

The phrase "Under God" was added to the pledge int he 1950's (1954 I think, althouhg it could have been earilier) as a result of the Armey-McCarthey hearings reagrding Communist activities in the US. It was added in an atempt to show that America was a God-fearing country as opposed to what they politics at the time referred to as the "Godless horde" of communists in the Soviet Union. It was a BLATANT attempt to force every person in the United States to take a religious oath as part of their requried education. Even the descendants of the person that wrote the oath (good christians themselves) want it restored to its original form, mostly for historical value, but even so....

We live in a country where there are many MANY different religions and having something that referes to the practices of only one of them gives the impression that THAT particular religion is somehow more valid than the others and that EVERYONE should do things in the manner of that single religious idea.

It is not right that someone who is a Buddhist, or a Hindu, or a Pagan, or an Athiest should be forced to recite an oath to a God that is not part of their religion (or lack there of).

Answer 6

That tolerance camp talk is over the top. I think we should take 'under God' out of the Pledge, you don't have to be any particular faith to be a good American, but that tolerance camp talk is too extreme. Religious freaks are extremists. Moderation and tolerance, even of their behavior, should be the way to react to them.

Answer 7

Even as a little kid in the 60s, I would not say "under god"

It is a pledge to a country, not a prayer.

But still, maybe YOU should check out some tolerance training too.
No one forces you to say Under god....

Answer 8

The pledge of allegiance should be restored. The "under god" line wasn't in the original so it should be removed and the pledge restored to it's former glory.

Answer 9

That's really funny! because our fore-fathers said that this nation would never stand without an ethic of God. Read your history lately? Just another liberal-leftist ideology trying to tear apart our American heritage and values.
Here's a thought:
If you don't like "One Nation under God" go try Cuba, or North Korea and come back (if they let you), I'll guarantee you might even like it there and decide yourself not to come back (please don't) to mock the freedoms >given to you< by our soldiers dying and fighting for >you< to say such >idiocy< about the nation you take for granted so callously. If anybody needs "tolerance training"--look in the mirror! And the last people that used "camps" was hitler. What I really want to say can't be said on "answers" therefore, where's my "freedom" that you speak of?

Answer 10

Check out this old Bing Crosby movie, "The Bells of Saint Mary's" - a christmas movie. It was BEFORE they changed the pledge in the 1950s to say "UNDER GOD". IT's kinda sweet to see it the way it used to be. The way it should be.