In response to my original Pledge of Allegiance critique, Melissa said: “Under God should NOT be taken out of the Pledge. It’s just wrong and everyone knows it. We are dismissing a true and powerful God that sent his son to DIE for us so that we could go to heaven if we just asked Him! Taking Under God out is a big mistake”
You need a reality check: About 2/3 of the world is not Christian. So, be careful how you define everyone. How would taking “under God” out be a big mistake? After all, if i just ask Him, I can get into heaven, anyway, right? So, do you think your god will punish us if we don’t put him in the Pledge of Allegiance… even though God wasn’t originally mentioned in the Pledge for over 50 years? And if he’s so powerful, how come the idea to put “God” in the pledge derives from people? How come he can’t just keep it in there himself? The main point of my argument is that it’s unconstitutional. If it’s “just wrong” to take it out of the Pledge, then I guess the idea that state should be separate from religion is “just wrong” too. Let’s stop governing ourselves, and just ask God to do it, I’m sure that will work.
Yea, just because God sent His son to die for us doesn’t mean we have to put Him in the Pledge. Yes, if you are Christian (or Catholic), an interpretation of your mission is to spread the Gospel, the “Good Word.” Well, there are many ways of doing so, if you feel that is your religious calling. This country was, in a way, partly founded on the principle of separation of church and state; in other words, religious freedom. Why would you want to take that away? It’s like taking out one of the bottom blocks in Jenga!! I personally don’t care if it’s in there or not…I mean, sure, at the most you most likely mumble it every morning you’re at school (assuming you didn’t skip class or ditch or whatever it is that you kids do these days), but do you really mean it? I highly doubt that. If you do, that’s cool, but it doesn’t seem like the majority of people do. Maybe times are a-changing from when I went to grade school (K-12), but I’m not that much older. By the time I got to high school, there were only maybe 3 kids per class that ever really said it with any sort of conviction. I personally, and I emphasize, PERSONALLY, think that one phrase isn’t going to change the overall meaning and purpose of the Pledge of Allegiance. However, religion is a personal thing, not a “truth”. Even science isn’t “truth”; science is just a big fat prediction of what goes on in nature. Interesting theory, huh? =P Read some stuff by Richard Feynman, like the lecture he gave on QED. Ooh and his autobiographies are hilarious! He’s this hella slick* Nobel Prize-winning physics dood whose claim to fame (well, some of it) was figuring out why the Challenger blew up (it was the O-rings, btw). Every religion thinks that their way is the right way…we won’t really find out until we die though, right? So really, go with whatever makes you feel better, it seems. It’ll always be there to help you get through the rough times in life, especially when you feel like no one else is. God can’t solve your problems for you, but no one really can except for yourself. Everyone and everything else is just there to help you along. Otay me get off soap box now. =D