[Scuddie]

Under God does belong in the pledge

Why?

It wasn't there originally. It serves to divide the nation between those who believe in God and those who don't (Thereby making the entire pledge completely worthless to anyone who doesn't believe in God since they've already lied once reciting it).

I could understand if the pledge was traditional (like the British national anthem) but the pledge was changed within living memory. It's not a tradition that everyone grew up with for generations.

And the problem is that the pledge is then used to back why Christianity should be dominant over every other religion or atheism. If people were trying to claim that God save the queen meant that the UK had to step away from democracy and go back to having the monarch actually rule you'd probably get similar complaints in the UK.

Oh look!  There's another person who doesn't understand what Under God means, yet questions the one who does 'Why'!  What a surprise!

[TrashMan]

Good point. People are stupid, throw rocks at them.

I'd rather throw granades...safer (for me)

[karajorma]

Oh look!  There's another person who doesn't understand what Under God means, yet questions the one who does 'Why'!  What a surprise!

You are assuming that your meaning is the only correct one.

[Snail]

GOD

--|--

UNDER GOD

[Roanoke]

Oh look!  There's another person who doesn't understand what Under God means, yet questions the one who does 'Why'!  What a surprise!

You are assuming that your meaning is the only correct one.

Whichever way you slice it, it still doesn't counter you're "believers/non-believers being divided" point

[TrashMan]

GOD

--|--

UNDER GOD

[karajorma]

Whichever way you slice it, it still doesn't counter you're "believers/non-believers being divided" point

Exactly

If you want to include humility in the pledge make it something which doesn't require belief in anything. A better phrase might be One nation, first amongst equals. Get the ball rolling with that rather than something which states that people need to recognise the authority of something they may not even believe in.

Something which forces the people who don't believe in God to lie.

[WeatherOp]

I like under buttheads...............

[BloodEagle]

One nation under telecom giants. 

[achtung]

Tell me this, what's the need for it outside of a religious viewpoint?

[akenbosch]

well, it was added in a time of "sort-of" crisis when of people where relying on religon to keep up hope...

[karajorma]

It was added in a time of repression which ran completely contrary to the very principals America stand for.

[TrashMan]

Here's the kicker:

A Christian musn't deny God - it's practicly a sin.

A atheist can pretty much say whatever he wants - he can lie like crazy - no God, no afterlife, no punishment 

[karajorma]

No one is forcing the Christian to deny God though. All that is being pointed out is that a phrase about God which should never have been in the pledge in the first place should be removed.

The Christian can reaffirm his faith to God in whichever way he wants after that. What he can't do is claim that a Buddhist or Sikh or Hindu should swear allegiance to a God they don't believe in.

There is no kicker.

[Ace]

Here's the kicker:

A Christian musn't deny God - it's practicly a sin.

A atheist can pretty much say whatever he wants - he can lie like crazy - no God, no afterlife, no punishment 

Morality enforced by fear is not morality.

[Mobius]

No one is forcing the Christian to deny God though. All that is being pointed out is that a phrase about God which should never have been in the pledge in the first place should be removed.

That's basically what has recently happened in Italian schools. There shouldn't be references to Christianity giving the raising number of Muslims and Atheists.

[colecampbell666]

Good point. People are stupid, throw rocks at them.

[Hades]

Good point. People are stupid, throw rocks at them.

Yes.More people need to be hit in the head with rocks.Or body.

[Janos]

Good point. People are stupid, throw rocks at them.

this is a good post

[Flipside]

One Nation, under God, Allah, several other pentheons, the Flying Spaghetti Monster and hoping to achieve Enlightenment via Buddhism...

That is why it doesn't need to go in, define 'under', if you are talking 'physical location' of some kind of deity, it STILL doesn't make any sense. The whole purpose of the statement is to make it sound like the US is one nation 'Under the control of God, don't give any of that 'location location' bull****, I don't buy that for a minute.