Quote:
Originally posted by dhamsaic
One doesn't <b>have</b> to say the pledge of allegiance. Like I said, I got away all through high school without saying it once.
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i never even stood. at first, because i *was* religious, and the idea of practically worshiping a piece of cloth, despite what it stood for, went against what i believed in (having no other gods [not worshiping anything else] besides the christian god) as my religious views changed, i refrained from it because of the "under god" statement. i felt standing would be showing my support of the pledge, which i dont believe in (mainly because of that statement). my senior year of high school, i was an announcer at my school for the morning announcements, and i was given a LOT of shit from one particular vice principal because i always chose to skip my turn reciting the pledge for the school. for a country that is supposed to have freedom of religion, this particular phrase is unacceptable. if the country did not want to have a national religion, they should have completely stood clear of the issue. some have argued (in their effort to persuade me to recite the pledge) that the "under god" statement means "under a god," however one wants to look at that. be it the christian god, buddah, ganesh, a particular goddess, whatever. as dham said, freedom of speech also protects ones freedom to remain silent. likewise, freedom of religion protects ones freedom to not have a religion. to not believe in a god at all. so while this (granted very far-fetched) translation of "under god" may apply to many, how do you translate it to apply to those of us who do not believe in a god? you cant, really, and so i think it should be trashed.
im tired and havent read some of this thread, so excuse me if im repeating someone elses thoughts.
