Every parent cares about what happens to their children in school and what messages they're getting. It might be very hard for a child that young to deal with feeling excluded from her peers while he or she is saying the pledge. I believe in G-d, and I believe that it should stay in the pledge because I think it should be one of the foundations of the morality of this country. Not Jesus, G-d -- a higher power that created this world. Whatever your personal views, I believe that when you take G-d out of the equation, you're asking for trouble. This is my personal feeling -- I am not saying you should believe this yourself.
But I can well understand this father's POV and where he's coming from. As a kid, I went to a summer camp called USDAN. The camp was for creative arts and I took Chorus as my major subject. The camp, btw, was funded by the YM-YWHA (the Jewish equivelant of the YMCA). Yet some of the music I was taught was church music, praising Jesus! I had a real problem. I ended up having to sing these songs (I just didn't say the word Jesus) but when the teacher would catch me not saying all of the words, he got angry. I felt very uncomfortable. So how does a young child going to public school feel when he or she has to make a decision not to participate, or to omit part of the pledge? I'm a little torn here ... I don't believe we should abolish the pledge, and I'm not comfortable taking the word G-d out of it, but I can certainly understand the opposite viewpoint. Adam, I do resent your implication that anyone choosing religion is either old or stupid. Judith >Reasons why I'm not religious: > >- Most people of 'religion' always feel the need to project their beliefs >onto others when it comes down to it (pledge of allegiance and currency >being two good examples, the state of Utah being another). Why should they >care if I'm of the same religion as them? > >- People take it way too seriously and are offended by other religions >invading their 'turf', sometimes causing wars or even century long crusades. >These are wars which invade non-religious peoples' natural desire for peace. >That's right, some people have morals without needing them dictated to them. >I've decided, on my own, that killing and stealing is something I don't want >to do. > >- Most people feel obliged to be religious due to their upbringing, and not >because of the beliefs themselves - "it's the right thing to do". > >- It seems like a lazy cop-out to not having the absolute answer as to why >we exist. > >- People with really strong beliefs about an unproven ideology is a >turn-off. > >- The fact that they collect your money. True faith in something shouldn't >require money to exist. > > >This is just a power-play by the Christian-majority politicians - they don't >want to be told what to do, despite our constitution, so they're trying >their darndest to keep the reign on their "Nation under God". Of course when >it comes to gun ownership (which I happen to be for), the constitution is >the first thing to come out. Most of the dems probably agree with the >district's decision, but because most voters bring religion before political >beliefs, they're saving their selves from crucification come election day. > >What does it matter if the word God is removed from the pledge, is this >stopping you from practicing your faith in anyway? Does it offend you that >you can't extend your religious beliefs to every single person in the >country? > >I don't think this will be a big deal in another 20 - 40 years or so. >Religion isn't 'cool' anymore, and most young people I know aren't buying >into it despite the zealots' endless efforts. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Howie Hamlin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 9:41 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Scholars Expect Pledge Ruling Reversal > > > > > > SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court panel drew outrage > > from across the political spectrum by ruling that it is > > unconstitutuional for classrooms to recite the Pledge of > > Allegiance, but the decision may not last for long. > > Some legal scholars say the ruling will likely either be > > overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court or reversed by the full > > 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. > > > > "I would bet an awful lot on that," Harvard University > > scholar Laurence Tribe said. > > > > Wednesday's ruling was in response to an atheist's bid to > > keep his second-grade daughter from being exposed to religion > > in school. In a 2-1 decision in favor of Michael Newdow, the > > panel took issue with the words "under God" in the pledge. > > > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53769-2002Jun27.html > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
