"under God", should it be taken out?? Options

[Spirited Away]

It really depends on how you look at it... I don't think it's necessary to take it out... this idea of seperation of church and state isn't specifically writen into our Constitution and this country *was* founded on
"Christian" values.. our founding fathers were very religious men. 

Reciting the pledge of allegiance isn't required... it's optional... if you don't feel comfortable with it you can just opt not to recite it.. it's not a big deal.

NO. This country was founded on the principle of religious freedom, not Christian values. The Constitution has no mention of God or Christianity. And though "seperation of Church and State" is not stated word for word, it is clearly implied by the restrictions of government 'to make laws respecting an establishment of religion". Our most important Founding Fathers were Deists. Learn your history, man. Also, the problem isn't reciting the pledge, the problem is "under God".

[Mulder]

i dont think "under god" should be in the pledge. the original pledge didnt even mention it.

this probably is converging on the american constiution thread, but america has always overstepped its boundaries on the issue of separation of church and state.
if we're attacking the issue of saying "under god", what about it being represented on our money: "in god we trust"

i dont say "under god" personally; in fact i rarely say the pledge.

[ParanoidAndroid]

People shouldn't take that seriously. I mean sure, it makes you compliment a god you don't believe in, but it;s notl ike they're forcing you to believe

[coconutter]

I think it shouldn't but, if I were in the 1800's or whenever it was created I woudl've said it should'nt because not everyone is christian. Since it's already done it shouldn't be tampered with but it should've never been put in there in the first place.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

i don't think forcing people to say it is appropriate, but i think people have their own right to choose if they want to say it or not.

[WHOngos144]

nope. you dont have to say the pledge. all you have to do is stand up. respect your country.

yeah man.

[timeflies51]

the original pledge didn't mention it. actually, the "under god" line was the last to be added.

personally, i want it to be taken out. it's not respecting everyone in the country as a whole. actually, it's going against the first amendment: freedom of religion. atheism counts. i suppose you could translate "god" into several different meanings, but i'd say that they are relating to the god mentioned in the bible. so what about islam, wicca, just religions like that?

and if you want to talk about our forefathers, they helped create the constitution too. what do you really think is more important? the fact that they mentioned god here and there, or the formation of the constitution?

(oh, and i don't say "under god" in the pledge.)

[baakla]

if you dont like it, dont say it. simple as that.

[*disco infiltrator*]

Yea, I don't say the pledge when asked to in school..

I don't think it should have been there in the first place, but it doesn't necessarily need to be taken out because it's not that big of a deal. It wasn't put in for the Christian right; it was put in to show that our country was different from the Communists, that our law was under God's, not that our country is ruled by God or something. So it doesn't really matter that it's there now, but those who put it in should have thought of what would happen after the war was over and should have considered the religious freedom that our country is supposed to have.

[baakla]

were you being sarcastic? or you really dont say it.

our school doesnt even say the pledge. i thinks its against the law in our district or something.

[*disco infiltrator*]

No, I really don't say it. We're told to, but I just stand up and nothing more.

[vehvih]

Uh huh, I don't say the pledge of allegiance too becaue I don't plegde under God since I don't believe his existance, and I don't memorize it.

Taking the 'under God' away.. I don't know. I believe it does not only stand for Christianity and Catholicism, but the history of America where the Manifestation Destination took place. Without the belief in God, America won't be America literally. That's why I am ok with the dollar bills.

[simx]

were you being sarcastic? or you really dont say it.

our school doesnt even say the pledge. i thinks its against the law in our district or something.

yea our school district or something doesn't allow students to recite the pledge anymore...

[emazing]

Since I am a Catholic, I strongly believe no would be the answer, and that would also be the Congress' choice when they decide to vote [2/3 have to agree to make it a law]. On the flip side, I understand that people who are non-Christian wouldn't want to offend their religion, so I guess it's 50/50.
The majority of Americans are either Catholic or Christian, or believe in some form of God. Hopefully, the 'under God' phrase will stay there.

[*disco infiltrator*]

^ But why? What satisfaction do you take in making the rest of us recite something we don't agree with?

[Joss-eh-lime]

if there really was no god whats the harm in a few words on a dollar bill or a part of a sectence to recite each morning. theres no god actually listening right? [<sarcasm]

[evanbunnell]

I feel pressured into believing when I read that on the dollar bill and hear it within the pledge. I don't push my beliefs on you, I'd just like to not have others' beliefs pushed on me.

[Retrogressive]

I believe that this is our history, erasing history is something dictatorships do. This land was after all founded on Christian beliefs as well as freedom.

[*disco infiltrator*]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS.
People have said in this thread and others: OUR COUNTRY WAS NOT FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.

The founding fathers were deist, yes, but their religious views were not the basis for our laws. Nowhere in our Constitution does it have any religious laws besides the FREEDOM of religion. The FREEDOM to practice ANY religion and believe ANYTHING you want.

if there really was no god whats the harm in a few words on a dollar bill or a part of a sectence to recite each morning. theres no god actually listening right? [<sarcasm]

Because it makes those who are not Christian or even believe in a God at all feel inferior, like they don't belong.

Why are points being brought up that have already been discussed?

[Tribal J_Rome]

Because it makes those who are not Christian or even believe in a God at all feel inferior, like they don't belong.

Why are points being brought up that have already been discussed?

word, how can there be freedom from religion if the words "under god" exist? it's everywhere, like in courts with that "do you swear to tell the truth.........so help you god" crap

[Joss-eh-lime]

^ But why? What satisfaction do you take in making the rest of us recite something we don't agree with?

well what satisfaction is there from not letting people say what they believe in? and like andromeda_90 said it isnt forcing you to believe anything

[*disco infiltrator*]

And like I've said, more than once, it makes those of us who do not believe in God feel inferior and like we don't belong in this country.

[waccoon]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS.
People have said in this thread and others: OUR COUNTRY WAS NOT FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.

The founding fathers were deist, yes, but their religious views were not the basis for our laws. Nowhere in our Constitution does it have any religious laws besides the FREEDOM of religion. The FREEDOM to practice ANY religion and believe ANYTHING you want.
Because it makes those who are not Christian or even believe in a God at all feel inferior, like they don't belong.

Why are points being brought up that have already been discussed?

I have never, ever, EVER heard anyone say they feel inferior because of the Pledge of Alleigance. We = You?

The constitution was written with the intent of letting everyone have their own freedoms, like religion. You have the freedom to believe anything you want, but the Pledge of Allegiance is just that, a pledge of allegiance. When you recite the Pledge, you're not supporting the idea of God, you're supporting the idea of the United States.

[*disco infiltrator*]

But it includes the idea of God, saying our nation is under God, as if we follow him, as a country.

[waccoon]

http://atheism.about.com/od/churchstatemyt...ledgeandgod.htm
I think everyone needs to read that before they post any more in this topic.

Politicization of the Pledge continued in earnest when, in 1942, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance — this established their authority over it and over its use.

Through World War II, the Pledge became a symbol of national unity — so much so that, when Jehovah’s Witnesses refused to recite it, they encountered a great deal of opposition and prejudice.
They lost their first Supreme Court Case but won their second — and in the aftermath many Witnesses suffered. Among the worst incidents were the burning of a Kingdom Hall in Maine, police assisting a mob in Maryland in dispersing a Bible meeting, and nearly an entire town in Illinois attacking a group of Witnesses, which required calling in state police to protect them.

During the 1950s matters worsened as people became more and more afraid of the communists. Many people were persecuted, denied work, and even jailed for no other reason but that they allegedly had Communist leanings. In an effort to link national unity with opposition to “godless communism,” the Knights of Columbus (“Strong Right Arm of the Church”) campaigned to have the words “under God” added to the Pledge. This was around the same time, and for the same reason, that ”In God We Trust” was added to all money and made the national motto.