GOD STAYS IN Pledge of Allegiance in Schools

[Choo-ChooAKA]

Wow, this is the first time I've visited this forum since I posted.

I didn't mean to leave you stranded, Ladygreek; Ditto your response. This is not about belief or non-belief. It's about separation of church and state. As stated earlier, different religions call their deities by different names, and as advocates of a separation between church and state, we are trying to insure that religious freedom continues; not limit it.

While the pledge is a small issue, it is important to PAY ATTENTION to anything that sets court precedent – especially in defense of our freedoms. If you had ever lived in a country where you were privy to religious persecution (Ireland, for example, as Ladygreek pointed out), you too, would be very attentive to anything that looks even remotely close government endorsed religious bias.

To draw the conclusion that Ladygreek and I are "secular" because we believe in a separation between church and state is rather ridiculous. The man who is raising the pledge issue is atheist, but most of the people who support this separation, including me and Ladygreek, are not. Be careful about assumptions. They are almost always inaccurate and they can also be hurtful and serve to limit discussion, thereby curtailing meaningful dialogue that can bring clarity to emotion-laden issues.

Now, understanding that both I and Ladygreek use the word GOD in our homes and with our families on a daily (and sometimes, for me, moment-to-moment) basis, is it possible to view separation of church and state not as an attack on Christianity but as a meritorious defense of one of the freedoms that we enjoy in this country and don’t want to see eroded through the process of court precedent? If the decision that “Under God” can stay in the pledge comes down, it may seem as if Christiandom has been defended, but in actuality they are setting a court precedent that limits freedom (not just religious, but on all fronts). Recently, this is a consistent trend in this country and it’s happening because many Americans don’t see the forest for the trees.