I think I stopped saying the pledge starting in 9th grade. I thought it was silly for there to be religious implications inserted into a national saying.

I never got into trouble for it, and if I had I would have made a huge deal out of it too.

"Under God" was not in the original pledge.

This country was not founded on Christianity, it was founded by people seeking religious independance from others who were oppressing their rights to pray as they saw fit. We were never meant to be a "christian nation". We were founded as a place where all religions could be worshipped in freedom.

Certainly the original founders were not as open-minded as we were today--but they wrote in the language of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights the lattitude for more open-mindedness.

Therefore to say that the US was built upon the principals of christianity is wrong. It was built upon the morality of the christian faith, but not the faith itself.

I believe that the words "under God" should be removed from the pledge of allegiance if it is going to be used as a mechanism to control the population (i.e. enforcing patriotism in school by forcing kids to say the pledge). Right now, it seems that some believe that it's un-American to refuse to say the pledge, and that would imply that it's un-American to not believe in God. Since that completely goes against the First Amendment and everything the country stands for, the pledge needs to be re-worded.

i agree. they should take it out of the pledge!! :shock:

I agree with everyone that is saying the words "under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. As everyone else has stated, these words were not in the original Pledge, and it only causes aggravation when people are required to say it... such as when you have an anal teacher in a classroom insisting you say the pledge in its entirety.

Thankfully I had a pretty laid back school... you didn't have to say the pledge, and you could just sit in your seat the entire time if you so chose. You just had to be quiet and respectful of everyone else who was saying the pledge. Originally, I just said the pledge because I was pleased with myself for knowing it (waaaay back in, say, 1st grade). But as time went on, and I got into high school, I was much less enthusiastic, and eventually stopped saying it entirely. I never got any grief from anybody about it.

i always wondered about the separation of church and state in the constitution. if they are seperate, then why can the government control how much religion is used by individual people in the schools? they say they are getting it out of the schools because it is unconstitutional, but it doesn't make sense to regualte it.

also if there is separation, then why are there politicians at churches, or getting people to vote for them because of their religion. isn't that against the constitution too?

if that should be removed, what next? will they remake every coin and dollar in America? The word god appears on most of them too. And then we'll probably destroy most of the buildings around the White House too, I suppose. No of course we shouldn't modify the pledge, if it goes against your beliefs so what? It's just a phrase! No one's commanding that you say it, just ignore it.

I think that it should be removed from the pledge. In high school we had to say the pledge one a week and I would stand, place my hand, say it, but I would not say "under God." In college, we don't have to say it, so it isn't a problem.

:evil: no it shouldn't! if you hate it that much, go somewhere else! move to canada! :x

I've been out of school for almost four years now, but when I was in school I didn't really say the pledge all that much, not even when I did a short stint in a military school because my parents put me there. I never signed the paper they had saying I agreed to do it, so I didn't... and when they tried to suspend me, I told them to go look in my file and see if I'd signed it.

Honestly, I think the whole thing about "Under God" being in it is just a silly thing for people to worry about. If you don't want to say it, don't say it. If you do, then go ahead. Half of what our country was founded on was freedom of choice, freedom of speech, etc. So you don't have to say something you don't want to say. There are so many bigger problems in our country, we really shouldn't be bothering with making a fuss over the words in a pledge that half the people in our country don't even pay attention to anyway.

Don't pay attention to until someone disagrees with them, of course. Trying to FORCE someone to say the pledge is like telling someone "oh yeah... you may own your house, but we supervise everything that happens in and around your community, so you can't smoke in there." It's ridiculous, and is just one more step this country is making toward becoming a communistic society.

Don't get me wrong, I love my country with all its flaws... but people really just need to get over themselves and focus on the bigger picture. Squabbling over little things like this isn't going to fix anything.

they should remove it because the united states is quite diverse and many people don't have that religion. I don't have that religion. having people say that, stand, and put their hand over their heart is wrong. so, they should take god out of the pledge, and stop forcing christian beliefs on others. This is not manifest destiny anymore and it never should have been.

Originally Posted by swissfishwish1

:evil: no it shouldn't! if you hate it that much, go somewhere else! move to canada! :x

So not wanting to include "Under god" in the pledge equals hating America in your mind..?

=\ I'm sorry, I do not agree with that line being in the pledge. It was not in the original pledge. It is religious propoganda and it has no place in the pledge.

And not every coin or dollar has a religious reference. It also does not proclaim that we are "One nation under god" which is far different than "In God we Trust". There is also symbols of other religions found on our money.

God created us so we're UNDER GOD!
and if it was added to it then it must be important enough to stay!
and why should you even care if you have to say it?

I don't believe in a god, especially not the christian god that that phrase pertains to.

If I were Muslim like my parents, I would be equally offended.

Why would I want to be forced to say a line that honors a god I do not worship? How is that right?

Originally Posted by swissfishwish1

:evil: no it shouldn't! if you hate it that much, go somewhere else! move to canada! :x

While Canada is beautiful and all and I really enjoy visiting, I don't see myself moving there simply because the words "under god" appear in our pledge to the flag.

Granted, Canada has no pledge to their flag, however, there is a movement to get a pledge that is stated every day in school there and it has the word God in it as well. The one thing that I will agree with in their "pledge" is the line "Free to worship God in my own way". This way no one feels that they are worshiping a certain god per se, or at least that is how I interpret it. But, in keeping with your argument to move to Canada, I don't see how escaping one pledge for another is beneficial if you are arguing for the removal of God in your pledge.

I agree that this is trivial compared to all of the other problems that we as a nation face. My children don't have to say it if they don't want to. I'm not one to force feed them religion. They will make up their own minds as they go through life and if they were to get suspended or expelled from school I would be in that principal's office so fast.

People are saying "under god" works because it is a "higher force", as is in MOST religions. Though some Christians at my school say it is for ALL of them. However, I'm buddhist. And everyone is equal with the potential to be a buddha, higher force, "God". So that really doesn't work. There is no higher power. everyone is equal. I believe it should be stricken.