Colorado students walk out on pledge of allegiance during 'under God' part - what do you think?

Question

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298336,00.html

"BOULDER, Colo. — About 50 Boulder High School students walked out of class Thursday to protest the daily reading of the Pledge of Allegiance and recited their own version, omitting "one nation, under God."

The students say the phrase violates the constitutional separation of church and state."

I support them. As an atheist, it is pretty arrogant of school officials to try and make people like me recite a phrase as empty and meaningless as "under God." It's something I never recited.

Answer 1

What nobody tells people is that originally the under God part wasn't there until 1954. Originally it was just:

I pledge alliegence to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; One Nation with liberty and justice for all.

I agree that this version of the pledge should be the definitive one as it is the original.

Answer 2

It's already been upheld in court multiple times that students can't be forced to recite or even stand for the pledge of allegiace. If you don't want to say "under god" then fine, I'm okay with that, it's your choice.

However, they are taking it a step further and attempting to deny others the right to say it if they choose. Separation of Church and state does not mean official state atheism. The pledge is a time honored tradition tha has far moe to do with national pride than religion. Any reasonable person couldn't possibly claim that somehow they're being tortured or opressed just because they hear others say the word "God," especially since they don't have to say it, and it is said not in a prayer, or religous conext, but simply in the lines of an American tradition.

Let those who want to follow tradition continue to do so in peace, and stop trying to turn the separation of church and state into the banning of the word God from everywhere but churches. This a is a dead horse that atheists are using to try and oppress (and you can fill in any religion here since it doesn't specifically say "under the Catholic God" or "under the Jewish God" etc) others right to freedom of religion.

You don't ever have to say "God" in your life if you don't want to, and I won't make you. Don't deny me my right to believe with the founding fathers in a God and respect the tradition of acknowledging that tradition in public settings. No one's preaching at you, no one is trying to convert you, it doesn't hurt you at all.

Answer 3

i have no problem with a protest or standing up to what you believe . but these kids have no concept of the whole argument and are just being idiots

in high school i was a great instigator, and love disruption. but as i look back with some insight , i know i was wrong on some things and totally ignorant on others. they should learn first , protest later. that way they know if what they doing is on the right side the argument , education and experience is what keeps you from being used by others.

nothing is stopping them from saying the pledge as it was originally written, or just having a moment of silent reflection.

Answer 4

As an atheist you will not like this answer. Our nation was founded on freedom of worship not freedom from it. Do a simple check of the constitution and you will find 2 things. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

You will find nothing about "separation of church and state". Our Declaration of Independence "the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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.

Our country was founded on the self evident truth that we are 1) created, and 2)that our Creator gave us rights.

The same declaration states "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence" Which simply means "we depend on God" IE In God we trust IE we are "one nation under God."

I think the protest is a sad reflection on how uneducated the students in Colorado are about our foundation as a nation.

You asked. Thanks

Answer 5

Why do people make such a big deal out the word God?! If it doesn't mean anything to you, then don't say it. Plain and simple. No one forces anyone to say "under God" because there is a law against that. If that teacher made them state the "under god" part then he or she can be fired. So, there was no need for protest.

Answer 6

Those of us who live in colorado are very familiar with the strange land we refer to as the Soviet Socialist Republic of Boulder. Somehow every left over professor from the 60's ended up there teaching and have seriously damaged the intelect of the local populace by introducing their damaged genetic material (drugs will do that) into the local gene pool. Please do not hold the rest of us Coloradans responsible for their imbecillic behavior.

Answer 7

They could have just as easily not mentioned the under God part without walking out. Drama queens.

Answer 8

I think they can remove that part now considering that the "under God" was added in the 1950s as an affront to Communism,

Answer 9

I say, give it a rest. When it comes to those words in the pledge, if it bugs you all so much just keep your mouths shut. Geesh!

Answer 10

this was originally brought up during the Reagan presidency ... it actually started because people wanted to practice other religions in schools besides Christianity

and conservative Christians came out of the woodwork to stop any other religion from getting into our schools ... much to their chagrin it has backfired on them

... and morphed into no religion at all in schools

kinda funny