"Under God" in the american pledge.

Abrasax · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2007, 05:49 AM

It upsets me that "under god" is still in our pledge of allegiance. Originally written in 1892 , it didn't contain the phrase "under god" until 1954 when President Eisenhower added it and said that "From this day forward, the millions of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural schoolhouse, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty."

Does this seem like a clear violation of the seperation of church and state to you? Children are forced to go to school, schools are forced to recite the pledge, the pledge acknowledges the existence of a monotheistic deity, so children are forced to acknowledge the existence of a monotheistic deity. It is as if the government is supporting one religious viewpoint over another!

If it were just tradition I would say "who cares?" but under god was added recently with a specific purpose and Christians derive political power from it. Whenever an issue comes up they say "this is one nation under god". Besides this, I'm sure monotheists can't help but feel as though their religion is superior since they have the government's backing. This also makes other religions feel inferior. Is this right when the government supposedly has a "seperation of church and state".

yossarian · 10-27-2007, 07:04 AM

wow, i thought the pledge always said under god. i didnt know it was a gimmick Eisenhower started. Weird shit.

on a seperate note...

did anyone have to sing the "god bless america" song (you know, "I'm proud to be an american, where at least i know im free").. in elementry school? BTW, it was a PUBLIC school system. yeah, i lived in a deeeeeep right wing town ( a bunch of rich snobs and CEO's of Houston's enterprises, a little town called The Woodlands). That was so fucking lame.

Abrasax · 10-27-2007, 07:19 AM

Yeah, it hasn't always existed...and I'm surprised it's still legal. I'm wondering how it got approved.

No, we didn't have to sing it...but I probably would have. I was a pretty liberal-hating right wingist througout the first 15 years of my life because of my parents influence.

dancesintherain · 10-27-2007, 07:59 AM

I like the pledge the way it is. Schools don't force you to say it..well at least my schools don't. If you don't want to say it, then you don't have to.

Abrasax · 10-27-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancesintherain

I like the pledge the way it is. Schools don't force you to say it..well at least my schools don't. If you don't want to say it, then you don't have to.

It doesn't matter if they don't force you to say it. It's the fact that public schools are acknowledging and giving support to monotheism through the pledge.

Even if they don't force you to say it, at my school especially since we are in the middle of the bible belt, students who don't say it often feel nervous, awkward, and out of place. Because students often don't want to make a big deal about it they say it anyway. And I've mentioned the reason why "under god" was added in the first place. That should be noted as a clear violation of the seperation of church and state right there.

And as I've covered earlier, the pledge is a source of political power and it gives undeserved respect to faith.

Caroline · 10-27-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dancesintherain

I like the pledge the way it is. Schools don't force you to say it..well at least my schools don't. If you don't want to say it, then you don't have to.

My school did the same thing. You didn't even have to stand up if you didn't want to.

However, I do disagree with the fact that it's in there to begin with. It's not how it was originally written and the government is supposed to be completely separated from religion.

**Nøz** · 10-27-2007, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caroline

My school did the same thing. You didn't even have to stand up if you didn't want to.

However, I do disagree with the fact that it's in there to begin with. It's not how it was originally written and the government is supposed to be completely separated from religion.

Dont you think if you dont stand up and do it its "un-American" or disrespectful?
Most people see it that way and feel forced to do it even if they dont want to.

yossarian · 10-27-2007, 12:14 PM

then why cant it be "One, nation, under the diety of which we have to right to choose... " ect.

Caroline · 10-27-2007, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noz

Dont you think if you dont stand up and do it its "un-American" or disrespectful?
Most people see it that way and feel forced to do it even if they dont want to.

I always stood up. But we had a bunch of international kids who felt no reason to stand up because they had only been there for like a week.

Chase_the_Bass · 10-27-2007, 12:16 PM

Honestly I don't think it's that big of a deal. Who cares really? Kids only say it, it's not like they take it to heart. It's kind of like a mundane ritual that you have done in the morning every day. Taking two words out of the Pledge isn't going to change it at all. People need to fight for something more important. At least yall don't have a Texas pledge. They just started it least year and it's stupid.