2007-04-15 18:19:13 · 17 answers · asked by Peter N 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OK, my opinion. I was in the Navy for a long time. Retired after 20 years. And when they remove all traces of God from this country and our pledges, I'll remove myself as well and go live somewhere else.
Our Constitution gives freedom of religion, not from it. It would be against what this country was founded on to remove it. Note that it doesn't say "The Judeo-Christian God", "The Islamic God", "the Earth God", or any other specific God. It does pay homage to the higher power that is revered by most people, without any attempt to force this belief on those who do not.
I believe in, and rely on God. That is one of the many things I took an oath to protect, that right to believe as I do, and to defend your right to believe as you may. I made no pledge to work toward a cookie-cutter country, where everyone is the same and must have the same beliefs. I think that is and was a doctrine, however, in the Nazi and Communist belief systems, which I think is a threat to our way of life, and to the Constitution, which I swore to protect "From all enemies, foreign and domestic"
2007-04-16 08:35:20 · answer #1 · answered by Pop rocks and coke 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry to answer a question with a question (or several questions), but why do we have a Pledge of Allegiance in the first place? If we don't choose to say it, does that mean we aren't "true Americans"? (Most people memorize it by rote as a child giving very little thought to any of the words in it.) Should Christians "pledge allegiance" to anything besides God? Would Jesus have included the Pledge of Allegiance when he forbad us to "swear"?
As far as removing the words "under God" is concerned, I think that would be appropriate to remove those words. The USA (the best nation in the world as far as I'm concerned) is not "under God." Many Americans are living "under God" (in subjection to the rule of God) but not all Americans (probably not even most).
Church and state should be separated (for the good of both). But I think Christians should ask themselves whether God would have them pledge allegiance to anything besides Jesus Christ.
2007-04-15 18:31:13 · answer #2 · answered by TruthMastaT 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We should indeed remove it. It was added in the 50s, and contrary to popular belief this nation was not founded on Christian principles. I beseech you to find any mention of Christianity in the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson himself said, "Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." (letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814). This nation was, however, founded on the principle of the separation of church and state. Including any mention of god in the pledge of allegiance goes against the founders' core values and beliefs.
2007-04-15 18:36:12 · answer #3 · answered by sophia_om1 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Yes, please remove it. The entire pledge is nothing but lies, and I, for one, am ashamed to have God's name even associated with it.
How are we a nation that is indivisible? Spend a few hours in this very forum to see how divided we are...
How is there liberty and justice for all, when a child isn't even safe in his own mother's womb?
The only thing this girl pledges her allegiance to is Christ...I've done my hours sitting in detention for refusing to say the pledge as a kid, and I still refuse to say it to this day. I usually don't even bother to stand up any more...just sit there and sip my cold drink and watch the fools mouth their empty words.....
2007-04-15 18:42:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Let’s get one thing straight. As noted above in the Declaration of Independence that the basics right of a person is given to them by God. So our Bill of Rights (and yes that does include freedom of speech and press which seem to be a hot topic, especially as of late) is only guaranteed with the assumption that these Rights are in place to protect our unalienable Rights endowed by God. So fine, protest, complain...take God out of the pledge, God off of our money, God off of any government building, book, etc....but realize that if you do, you are also removing your rights. You have to accept and admit to your basic right being protected by our constitution solely because our Founders believed that God intended for you to have them.
I am pissed that the Pledge of Allegiance was taken from the schools. I am mad that people would have "In God we Trust" taken from our currency. I am alarmed that the citizens of California would have a cross removed from San Diego, a cross that is a war memorial and has stood since the 1950s.
I recently heard of a school in Nevada that pulled the plug on a Valedictorian who thanked God and Jesus Christ in her graduation speech. They spouted the first amendment and had no authority under school board precedence to do so. The first amendment does call for a separation between church and state; well actually it states that the government cannot make laws respecting one religion. It doesn’t say that there can be no church in state or no state in church. Just that the government cannot sponsor or endorse one religion so much that they make laws which are solely to benefit that religion. The first amendment doesn't guarantee a freedom of hearing either. It’s being used that way. Especially when dealing with the majority speaking. The sad thing is the rules in place at that school, set by7 the board, handle this situation, there is no need to turn to the highest law in the land for a ruling.
Another example of this foolishness. Right here in Texas, DFW area, Liberty Elementary school. New school, they thought it would be clever to put the new nickel on the cover of the year book. But to avert criticism they too the "In God We Trust" off of the coin on the cover. The also issued "In God We Trust" stickers so that anyone wanting that phrase on the cover could put a sticker on there. WHAT!!! The majority of the population here in the Bible belt is Christian or have no problem with the phrase. And I would bet that 100% of the population spends our money with that phrase on it. So why would a school have to tip toe around this. Because the liberal minority might have a hayday protesting that a public school has "In God We Trust" on the yearbook. A violation of the first amendment? NO! You use that same nickel to pay for milk at school right? And why not, if you must, give out blank stickers to cover up the phrase.
The answer to that why is that the conservative majority who would not be offended by the presence of the phrase "In God We Trust" is also the same majority that would not protest the absence...because we are rational and although it ticks us off...we have lives to lead. Why do we pander to the minority, is that what democracy means (checking dictionary) (demand....demeanor...democracy...)
democracy P Pronunciation Key (d -m k r -s )
n. pl. democracies
1. Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.
2. A political or social unit that has such a government.
3. The common people, considered as the primary source of political power.
4. Majority rule.
5. The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community.
Wow! Majority rule...hmmm...thought that was right.
Fact: The majority of Americans believe in God. God may be the God of Abraham, Jesus Christ, Allah...etc....but we believe in the Creator who gave us these rights
Why is it that the minorities of those who are offended seem to have their voice heard loudest? If the liberals want to separate church and state and take God out of all government...they lose their rights to speak out, to assemble (protest)
Oh and those of you that protest God being in the pledge and on the currency, in graduation speeches and on yearbooks...start at Arlington National Cemetery, lots of crosses....just please have a press conference before hand so that all of us veterans can meet you there.
2007-04-16 03:29:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
We should remove it. Associating our fine nation with the likes of that Middle Eastern death cult is an insult to our national honor! We are not a nation of people who pray to a celibate Hanged God for the world to end! We work hard to make the world a better place for our children.
2007-04-15 18:22:54 · answer #6 · answered by St. Toad 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
It is just time for Christians to get out of the country and leave an obviously sinking ship.
2007-04-15 18:23:44 · answer #7 · answered by † PRAY † 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It was never intended to be in the pledge. So there is no reason to keep it.
2007-04-15 20:22:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why shouldn't we? The pledge is a civic duty, not a prayer. Besides, not all children are Christian.
2007-04-15 18:23:30 · answer #9 · answered by Petrushka's Ghost 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We should not remove under God from The Pledge of
Allegiance. It must bother liberals to use American currency.
In God We Trust !
The forth stanza of the National Anthem includes: And
this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
At the start of each new U.S. Congress, in January of every odd-numbered year, those newly elected or re-elected Congressmen - the entire House of Representatives and 1/3
of the Senate - must recite an oath. The concluding line of
this oath is: So help me God.
Do we suspend praying for our military when they are in
time of danger? The military is part of state by the way.
2007-04-15 18:25:42 · answer #10 · answered by JOHN T N 2 · 1⤊ 7⤋