"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
This is repeated every morning by students all over the world, and is recited at many events. However, there's one part that many people have a problem with. "One nation, under God". Why should Americans be forced to acknowledge the existence of God to pledge their allegiance to their country?
So my question to you: Should the "under God" be removed from the pledge of allegiance?
But I do have to agree with Hidden. The use of the phrase "One nation under God" discriminates against those who don't believe in God and those who don't practice Christian faiths.
LTT Nailed my point before I had a chance to make it myself =) Though I should also note - I'm still a citizen of the U.S.A. from my place of birth as well as having Canadian citizenship from having lived here pretty much all my life. 'Canadian'? Ehh... I still don't fit in with the Canucks - they still make fun of me for it at the age of 27, but getting over the border was never so easy.
Even though Hidden doesn't really need to worry about it since he's Canadian
O Canada also mentions god.
God keep our land glorious and free!
I've actually thought about the presence of the word in O Canada, and I personally refuse to say God when I say O Canada, but I haven't had to say it since I actually started questioning religion. I just mouthed the words in school anyway, though.
I'm all for removing the God from both and replacing it with something else, like One nation, a family or One nation in peace (lol peace, I crack myself up) or something equally cheesy to everyone.
Although, now that I think about it, it really isn't all much of a problem. I guess it's just that people don't want religion in the government, even in something as little as that.
Well also if yu want to think poetically God does sound better, lol what else would we replace it with?
It doesn't need to be replaced with anything; you could just take it out.
The previous version of the pledge of allegiance from 1924-1954 went:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
Though I should also note - I'm still a citizen of the U.S.A. from my place of birth as well as having Canadian citizenship from having lived here pretty much all my life.
Sorry Hidden didn't know you're a U.S. citizen too. As Thyll pointed out Canada has some of the same issues as well. I should probably know a lot more about Canada than I do, seeing as I live in a state that borders it, but my American public school education was saddly lacking on that front. I would not mind going back to the pledge used from 1924-1954. Of course I don't often nowadays find myself asked to say the pledge. When it comes down to it I suppose it would really be all about retraining the mind and the tongue to omit the "under God". At least it wouldn't display bias toward any religion.
Don't say the Pledge of Allegiance if you have a problem with it. If you notice Pilgrims came to America to escape religious persecution and yet there is still religious persecution on both sides of the spectrum. You aren't forced to say anything.
[/quote]Don't say the Pledge of Allegiance if you have a problem with it.[quote]
I know that some schools require you to the pledge of allegiance.
I dont really think it has to or should be there but its been there for so long that I dont really see why they should change it.
This is similar to how in some states your votes dont matter. THis is because the president isn't voted on by the amount of votes he gets but by the electoral college. Granted most of the members of the electoral college have to put there vote in for whoever the state most votes for, but some state don't have a law where they have to do that thus they can vote for whoever.
Several people think that the goverment should change this but it's been part of the goverment for so long that it most likely won't be changed.
Keep in mind though, the question posed in the OP was not 'is it likely to be changed?' but 'should it be changed?'
Even with your example - the electoral college should see significant reform; it's not a very good system of election anymore & we have the technology to move information across the country in almost an instant; though I won't further get into debate about that as it's a different topic.
I dont really think it has to or should be there but its been there for so long that I dont really see why they should change it.
Tradition is not a sufficient argument - if it was, 'one nation under god' never would have made it into the pledge in the first place; nor would any of the other changes that were made to the pledge.
Yes I think they should. Not everyone believes in God. Maybe they could change it to "One nation, Under (presidents name). I mean we are pretty much under the President's rule right?
Yes I think they should. Not everyone believes in God. Maybe they could change it to "One nation, Under (presidents name).
What about's the people who dont like him? >.<
There shouldn't be any name in it other than the name of the country. Not the name of God because there is supossed to be seperation of church and state. Not the president's because people aren't required to like the president. With the president if you don't like someone you don't have to vote for them (and if you are of age to vote but don't then you really shouldn't complain). With God however people are not general given that the chance to vote on whether or not phrases like "under God" and "In God We Trust" are used in/on things that in involve the government. If it was put to a real vote and the people voted to keep it I would be like okay fine but as it stands I don't know who made the dicision to use those phrases.
I thought America was a free country and any religion can live here?
In fact it is, but they still don't get that separation of church and state's purpose is to protect freedom of beliefs. So they still go with sentence like "One nation under God" in their pledge, or "God Bless you" within presdient's and official's speeches, or In God we Trust" on your bnak notes... That's a shame, but, we don't discuss the geratest nation in the world...