Well, if you are a kid in one of nine states starting next Monday you will be breaking the law to say the pledge. CNN reported it. It also said that if the decision goes to the Supreme Court they may make a “religion-lite” decision by saying that such general words do not imply government support of religion. I was offended by the comment. It made it seem that the Supreme Court is really pro-church and state integration, but didn't want to be too obvious about it.
CNN's article is here.
But let's think about this whole church and state issue. The whole point in our country coming into existence (the US) was to allow freedom of religion. So, while our government is not supposed to endorse one religion with taxes, such as other countries do, it was created to support churches. The point of having this country was so that we could be “free to worship God.” Not that we wouldn't be able to worship God in any government run place.
How come the church and state people can't see this?
Well, I understand what you are saying, but the idea of “religion,” I think, has expanded since the time of our founding fathers. Just like the term “person” has.
Now, many people see worshiping God, god, goddess, nature, etc. as relision. Buddhists, strictly speaking, don't believe in God – but it's generally considered a religion nonetheless. (I guess you could make the argument that striclty speaking, it's not a relisgion . . .) And Hindus believe in *many* gods.
So, in short, I think the “one nation under God” really does convey a Christo-centric idea of what God is, how He operates (and the fact that it is a He and the pronoun should be capitalized) and can connote a state-sponsored idea of religion and the proper way to understand or relate to the divine, or the transcendant.
And we haven't even begun to discuss atheists . . .
: )
So yes, it does seem ridiculous that one could not pray on government propery, be that one Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, Quaker or Islamic.
But I do have to agree that the phrase within the pledge of allegience does mix things where they should not be mixed.
I also think, if memory serves me right, it was inserted by congress during the height of the Red scare, and was done so strictly as a reaction against those “godless Communists.” That, for me, takes away a lot from its importance and authenticity.
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wow, that's great about homeschooling your kids. let me tell you it's worth it.
i am 16 and have been homeschooled all my life. last year i went to my local high school for some math and science classes and this year i'm at my local community college. i'm probably one of the very few 16 year olds they've seen in Calculus and Analytic Geometry. and i was able to excell thanks to my mom.
good luck
Lauren
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