Isn't it a bit ridiculous that people want to take "Under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance?

Question

It's not saying "One nation under our lord Jesus Christ" or anything like that.

I do know my history. I am just saying that it's ridiculous that people want to take it out. It doesn't say any specific god, even if it was added in, it shouldn't be taken out.

Answer 1

Ridiculous? No. It wasn't in the original Pledge to begin with. It was only added in the 1950s to contrast us with the godless communist menace of the Soviet Union. It serves no real positive purpose.

Answer 2

I agree with corhanem, any one who don't have any thing more important than to complain about 3 little words on our money, surely must be living a boring life,especially since I feel at least we desperately need to be paying more attention to what is happening in our country and what our politicians are doing when we work our azzes off and can't afford any thing except the basics when others in our society can lay around drink , and party, the hunger in our nation while our politicians give away billions mainly to war lords in Africa and other despots, our involvement in Israel and Palestine, it would take a book to list more important things , plus the fact 80% of the people in this country want to leave the pledge as it is, strange as it may be , I thought that the majority ruled?when did it change?

Answer 3

I don't think it is ridiculous at all. Don't get me wrong, I grew up saying "One nation UNDER GOD" in the Pledge every morning of grade school. The truth is that UNDER GOD was not a part of the original pledge. It was added later, during the 1950s. While I don't think it's ridiculous, I don't understand the purpose. 80% of Americans believe in God. We make a big deal about representation of the majority. I don't believe in ignoring minorities (I'm Christian Lebanese-American with a dual citizenship, about as minor as a minority can be) but it's not like we will ever be able to please everyone in the country regardless of what we do with the Pledge. The other 20% of Americans are entitled to reciting a pledge more to their beliefs, but don't I think that a majority as high as 80% should be blown off. I'm torn on the subject. While I don't find it ridiculous that people want to change the Pledge back to it's original content, I find the reasons for it lacking in relevance.

Answer 4

I personally think that two words in a recited verse shouldn't be creating such a stir, when there are so many other more important things we need to deal with. Focus on the most important task, then deal with the smaller things later.

I'm for "Under God" in the pledge, because the Bill of Rights gives me the freedom to say and believe what I want. Thank GOD for that.

Answer 5

Not nearly as ridiculous as the way "Under God" was snuck into the Pledge in the first place....

Answer 6

considering it was added in 1954, no

In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.

Answer 7

No more ridiculous than putting it in there just to please a few far-right activists.

I don't have a problem with reciting it either way, under God or just one nation, indivisible. I do (!) have a problem with a law that MANDATES saying it in one form or the other.

The law adding the phrase should be repealed, and people should have, and exercise, the right to recite whichever version floats their bubbles.

Answer 8

Personally I think it matters little, after it is not like 99% of even take the pledge seriously any more, they are just reciting words.

Answer 9

No.

It's only been there for about 50 years. We got along quite well without for the first 180 years of being a country.

And in any country that claims to respect religious freedom, and especially one that forbids the government to enforce religious beliefs, that concept of requiring people to swear that we are a "nation under god" is itself ridiculous.

It's telling anyone who doesn't believe in god, or who believes in multiple gods, that their beliefs are not valid according to the federal government. And that's precisely what the 1st Amendment was intended to prevent.

Answer 10

No, because "under God" wasn't in the original version of the pledge.

[excerpt from http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_pled1.htm]

Between 1924 and 1954, the Pledge of Allegiance was worded:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

In 1954, during the McCarthy era and communism scare, Congress passed a bill, which was signed into law, to add the words "under God." The current Pledge reads:

"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, with liberty and justice for all."