Don't you think saying the pledge of allegiance should be banned, or at least be made optional? What about atheist kids (like me) who really don't want to pledge to the country that supposedly is under 'god'? just wondering who agrees....
2007-08-08 11:51:01 · 37 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Or remove the "under god" part.. at least
2007-08-08 12:17:27 · update #1
I feel you. I always thought it should be optional. They say that here in america we have religious freedom, yet you can get in trouble if you don't stand up and say the pledge of allegiance and claim a god that you don't believe in!
2007-08-08 11:55:18 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
As a teacher of young children I know that it is optional in both states that I have taught in. Not only atheist parents have a problem with their children reciting this, therefore the children may choose to sit through this ritual. Most administrators on the other hand require the teacher to have the children do it (I'm speaking of Elementary schools)-luckily I have never had students first hour and have not had to deal with this. When there are assemblies and the like, I will stand but not recite the allegiance...so far no child has actually questioned me on this. I personally have issues with pledging the allegiance and the under god part, but as long as it is optional I have no problem with the tradition.
2007-08-08 13:29:38 · answer #2 · answered by alia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so. The pledge isn't said in most schools after elementary school. If the "Under God" part bugs you, don't say it, but respect the flag and your country. I find some of the answers offensive. My family immigrated here (the first being many generations ago, the last being just four generations ago) and we've fought in every single war since setting foot on American soil. EVERY SINGLE ONE. We fought for your freedom, for your right to say the pledge or to not say it. And to read some of the remarks about how people don't want to even stand and look at the flag, about how they want to take the only show of respect this country gets, out of the children's lives just hurts. Had my family, and many others, not fought for you, you wouldn't have that freedom. You would have no choices. We'd still be a serviant country, and probably not as advanced. America was founded on rights. It's my right to say the pledge, it's your right to not say "Under God" but don't take the pledge away. Too much blood was shed for that right and to take it away is a spit in the face of everyone who made it possible.
2007-08-08 12:08:08 · answer #3 · answered by sister steph 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This may be settled soon in the courts. An atheist in California is suing the public school board for requiring his daughter to recite the pledge of allegiance with the words, "under god". These words were added by congress in 1954 and most scholars believe that if it should get to the supreme court, even the conservative majority will strike the words. Finally.
2007-08-08 11:56:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The phrase "under god" wasn't originally a part of the pledge - it was added later. Then several families (specifically those of the Jehovah's Witness faith) went to court because they felt that adding that phrase made the pledge equivalent to a "prayer"
I don't think it should necessarily be "banned" - but nobody should be FORCED to say the pledge.
2007-08-08 12:57:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I laughed the first time I saw my mother say the pledge. She left out the "under God." I thought she forgot it. She believed in God. She explained that when she was a child the "under God" part wasn't part of the pledge. It was added as part of anti-communist hysteria. It disrupts the pledge and adds an element of division in a pledge calling for unity. She said she always skipped that part. After she explained, so did I. I will often say the pledge, I'll never include the prayer in the middle. It's just not right.
2007-08-08 11:56:42 · answer #6 · answered by thatguyjoe 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The pledge of allegiance was changed, during either the Nixon era, or the Reagen era, to include under god. Our country was built to be secular, and then the religious right started taking control. I think that it should be optional to say the under god part. Supporting our country is good, but supporting the fall into a theocracy, is bad.
2007-08-08 12:00:29 · answer #7 · answered by Erulechto 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's JUST tradition. It doesn't matter. It's a lot like saying "Merry Christmas" regardless of if you are a christian or not. It's been around so long that it is significantly secular now. There are bigger fish to fry for equality in this country.
And unless you join the military, it IS voluntary and optional to actually say the pledge of allegiance. You can just sit or stand there, you don't have to participate should you choose not to.
Peace,
Jenn
2007-08-08 11:58:04 · answer #8 · answered by jenn_smithson 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find it funny that "one nation under God" is in the pledge. It wasn't added until the fifties, and as a Christian I don't believe that this is one nation under God and I don't think that atheists or anyone should be required to say it. Don't get me wrong here I wish this were a nation under God, but since it's not it probably shouldn't be there.
2007-08-08 11:56:59 · answer #9 · answered by Deuce 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Saying the Pledge of Allegiance is optional. For myself personally, there are two reasons while I will neither stand nor pledge to our country and those two reasons are:
1. I refuse to pledge my allegiance to a country who's turned into nothing short of narcissistic. At one time we were a very well-presented country with ethics, morals, manners, and modesty. Looking at the way our country presents itself now? We're selfish, we're arrogant, we're fat.
2. I don't believe in God. Before I stopped pledging in general, I'd negate "under God" from the pledge and continue with the rest of the pledge.
You're not forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance and if anyone tells you it's mandatory, fight tooth and nail because it's your freedom of expression and speech to deny pledging to your country - especially a country who doesn't deserve so much support and loyalty.
2007-08-08 11:56:18 · answer #10 · answered by Alley S. 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
we haven't said the pledge of allegiance since elementary school. I don't think it should be banned nor under god taken out, that is much too much energy, time, and money spent on something that doesn't matter all that much (it wasn't in it originally, if that tells you anything.). I would fully opt to just not say 'under god' if it bothered you all that much. They are just words, they only mean something if YOU mean them.
Personally, I could care less. When I had to say the pledge of allegiance in school...they were just words. I'm a deist.
2007-08-08 11:54:43 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋