Ban the Pladge of Allegiance

[speedysst]

The issue is that it's EXPECTED that the second language is Spanish. Latin is awesome and I have recently been learning Afrikaans - because I can.

Seriously? The benefits to the brain of learning a second language, any language, are well documented. My kids will be learning Latin this year, and we don't live anywhere near Latin American.

[ZERO THEORY]

I don't have a problem with "under God". It's the version we used as I was growing up. I get the feeling that some folks want to revise the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to remove any references of a creator or God. Separation of church and state has nothing to do with the absolute removal of any reference that may or may not be religious that may offend an individual. Unless the state is forming or endorsing a specific religion, I'm fine with it.

It's part of our history. Get over yourselves. We have freedom of expression and that means that you don't have a freedom from possibly being offended. Some folks are just looking for ways to be offended.

You are not required to say the pledge, so if you don't agree with it, don't participate.

Whoa...it has nothing to do with being offended; I'm not an Obama voter or a Boulder resident. I also understand that it's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Having said that, the history of Abrahamic religion in this country is seriously played up. Especially considering the less-than-favorable position taken by most of the founding fathers.

But freedom of religion ensures the secular freedom as much as the divine. So having to pledge allegiance to my nation under the predication that it's by God's will? No thanks.

[Gmans-Wife]

But freedom of religion ensures the secular freedom as much as the divine. So having to pledge allegiance to my nation under the predication that it's by God's will? No thanks.

You can always chose to exclude the under God, you can even chose to not pledge your allegiance to the country. That is the beauty of this country.

However, throughout my life I have many friends who follow "alternate" religions, their argument is often one of offence. They assume the God referenced is the Christian God and become offended by it. I know for myself, when this same issue came up years ago I debated the "under God" part of the pledge, with myself and some friends. After talking through it and getting several view points, I came to the conclusion that the term god is generic enough that if I wanted to chose the 'god of the cell phone' as my god, "under God" could still apply. Now admittedly "the god of the cell phone" is rather silly choice, but to me it is a good way to bring this subject into perspective.

An interesting discussion on the History of the Pledge: http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm

[davsel]

Whoa...it has nothing to do with being offended; I'm not an Obama voter or a Boulder resident. I also understand that it's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Having said that, the history of Abrahamic religion in this country is seriously played up. Especially considering the less-than-favorable position taken by most of the founding fathers.

But freedom of religion ensures the secular freedom as much as the divine. So having to pledge allegiance to my nation under the predication that it's by God's will? No thanks.

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