I've been wanting to write about the Pledge of Allegiance for a long time. Specifically, abut the two small words that hinder me from proudly reciting it: under God. People tell me I don't know how to pick my battles, but this is one I am never going to renounce.
The words 'under God" were added under President Eisenhower during an era of resistance against the spread of Communism, and the logic is infallible: a Nation under God certainly occupies higher moral ground than a nation of godless Commies. But godless Commies are a thing of the past; meanwhile, this Nation is becoming more diverse and tolerant of different creeds and origins of its many citizens. Thus, the phrase "under God" in our pledge is outdated and should be excluded.
If anyone thinks it is well, ungodly to alter the Pledge of Allegiance, then please see evidence below that the Pledge has in fact been altered several times, and the words "under God" were only the most recent addition (1954). Honestly, I'm surprised the Tea Party movement hasn't picked up on this! Let's get our Pledge back to its beautiful, concise original message! No messing with this country's foundations.
As you can see, the progression of alterations to the Pledge shows an emergence of American exceptionalism in the 20th century. Yet if America is exceptional (and I do subscribe to that view), it is as a man-made achievement, not as an act of God. For many U.S. citizens, the Constitution is as holy as the Bible, so why not say: "one Nation under the Constitution,"... I mean, that's the case anyway...
Perhaps this is such a point of contention for me because I am an atheist and a proud citizen; I would like to recite the pledge sincerely and mean every word of it - after all, the Pledge is a verbal signature under an enumeration of core republican values. I believe in those values, I just don't believe in God. Why can't I and others like me just pledge allegiance to the union we support ideologically, financially and politically?
Perhaps these words bother me because I learned in school that the separation of church and state is one of this country's founding principles, and conventional wisdom places "God" in the house of Church and "Flag' in the house of State. From that perspective, mixing them in one sentence is not very Constitutional.
On a personal note, I used to do the school announcements every morning in 8th grade. I would always say the Pledge of Allegiance loud and clear into the microphone (ironically, I hadn't been naturalized yet), carving the words into my consciousness with every resounding syllable. I wasn't raised atheist, or Catholic, or Russian Orthodox, or Jewish, or Muslim. My parents believe in a higher power but their faith is not institutionalized. As a dutiful eighth-grader, I recited the Pledge perfectly but always had an ill feeling about it. I always knew there was no God for me, and that in itself is blind faith, as I have no proof of God's inexistence. So in a sense, I was forced to blaspheme, over and over again, while affirming my sincere belief in the values I hold dear.
Over the years, I've shared my views with evangelical Christians, moderate Muslims and reformist orthodox Jews, and for the most part, everyone agrees that the pledge does not have to include the words "under God." Their argument for why the words are in the Pledge? With ambivalence or scientific curiosity at best, they presume: This phrase is part of the original pledge, so it's a relic of the times; in the 19th century, when everyone went to church, to say 'under God' was probably typical...
But it's neither a 19th century relic, nor part of the original. It has no inherent significance - not today. In fact, the original looks a lot more modern, even if it was written by a long-dead Christian socialist.
The words 'under God" were added under President Eisenhower during an era of resistance against the spread of Communism, and the logic is infallible: a Nation under God certainly occupies higher moral ground than a nation of godless Commies. But godless Commies are a thing of the past; meanwhile, this Nation is becoming more diverse and tolerant of different creeds and origins of its many citizens. Thus, the phrase "under God" in our pledge is outdated and should be excluded.
If anyone thinks it is well, ungodly to alter the Pledge of Allegiance, then please see evidence below that the Pledge has in fact been altered several times, and the words "under God" were only the most recent addition (1954). Honestly, I'm surprised the Tea Party movement hasn't picked up on this! Let's get our Pledge back to its beautiful, concise original message! No messing with this country's foundations.
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance |
Perhaps this is such a point of contention for me because I am an atheist and a proud citizen; I would like to recite the pledge sincerely and mean every word of it - after all, the Pledge is a verbal signature under an enumeration of core republican values. I believe in those values, I just don't believe in God. Why can't I and others like me just pledge allegiance to the union we support ideologically, financially and politically?
Perhaps these words bother me because I learned in school that the separation of church and state is one of this country's founding principles, and conventional wisdom places "God" in the house of Church and "Flag' in the house of State. From that perspective, mixing them in one sentence is not very Constitutional.
On a personal note, I used to do the school announcements every morning in 8th grade. I would always say the Pledge of Allegiance loud and clear into the microphone (ironically, I hadn't been naturalized yet), carving the words into my consciousness with every resounding syllable. I wasn't raised atheist, or Catholic, or Russian Orthodox, or Jewish, or Muslim. My parents believe in a higher power but their faith is not institutionalized. As a dutiful eighth-grader, I recited the Pledge perfectly but always had an ill feeling about it. I always knew there was no God for me, and that in itself is blind faith, as I have no proof of God's inexistence. So in a sense, I was forced to blaspheme, over and over again, while affirming my sincere belief in the values I hold dear.
Over the years, I've shared my views with evangelical Christians, moderate Muslims and reformist orthodox Jews, and for the most part, everyone agrees that the pledge does not have to include the words "under God." Their argument for why the words are in the Pledge? With ambivalence or scientific curiosity at best, they presume: This phrase is part of the original pledge, so it's a relic of the times; in the 19th century, when everyone went to church, to say 'under God' was probably typical...
But it's neither a 19th century relic, nor part of the original. It has no inherent significance - not today. In fact, the original looks a lot more modern, even if it was written by a long-dead Christian socialist.
