Quote:
Originally posted by adduncan
In order for the pledge to impose "a god" it would (1) have to name him/her/it with a specific name or (2) have to be interpreted very literally, without the historical context.
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I disagree. As one who does not believe in ANY god, I feel that having god mentioned in a PUBLIC institution *is* imposing some type of god upon students there -- a god, any god -- to me it doesn't matter which one. Even taking the history into account, I think that the mention of god in this context is inappropriate.
The "god" mentioned in the pledge could, of course, be any number of gods associated with any number of religions, but I for one believe in none of them. Maybe that makes me more sensitive to the issue -- I'm sure it does.
I have no problem with religion, god, and the people who choose to believe in it. However, I just don't think that a PUBLIC institution is the place for it. By having teachers and school officials lead the pledge (including the word "god") I feel that the state is sanctioning a certain type of religion (i.e., one that involves a belief in god, whatever that god may be). Yes, of course, part of what makes America great is that we have the FREEDOM to worship or not. That, however, is a choice to be made by individuals and should NOT be part of a public classroom.