Federal Appeals Court Upholds 'Under God' in Pledge...

[SS-18 ICBM]

A victory for the Christian States of America.

 

[I'm Cleo!]

This isn't about the Pledge as such, only the words "under God" in it. It has been unconstitutional to force children to recite the pledge since 1943.

Cleo

 

[RedRalph]

This isn't about the Pledge as such, only the words "under God" in it. It has been unconstitutional to force children to recite the pledge since 1943.

Cleo

What is the official function and purpose of it? When is it officially meant to be recited?

 

[Mise]

I agree with Lord Gay, "Out of many, one" is a much better motto, especially for a country like the US

 

[I'm Cleo!]

What is the official function and purpose of it? When is it officially meant to be recited?

It's recited at the beginning of the school day in public schools (and, presumably, many private ones). The official function and purpose of it is to indoctrinate youth with loyalty for the United States. Seriously, that's the only reason I can think of. Accordingly, during WWII, the Supreme Court struck it down as violating students' First Amendment rights. As I always say, it is my favorite opinion the Court has ever written (by Robert Jackson), and I think it sums up everything that's good about the United States.

(Of course, the following year the Court handed down Korematsu, from which Jackson dissented, which sums up everything bad about the United States, but at least all sane people recognize now how wrong Korematsu was.)

Cleo

 

[warpus]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...pholds-god-pledge-allegiance/?test=latestnews



Hmmm. Is it possible that the 9th circuit has been getting a bit more conservative since 2002?

Anyway, I applaud the decision. Looks like a win for the good guys and the constitution!!

Can we now put this issue to rest and stop these frivilous lawsuits?

Dude, did you guys even ask God for permission to include him in your pledge?

Sheesh

 

[GoodGame]

I think the reference to a deity should be purely voluntary in oaths, and completely guaranteed as a right of individual expression, and not invalidated by separation of church and state arguements.

Reference to a deity on generic government property (e.g. money, machine guns, etc...) is probably less defensible since it presumes that the people expect that. It's pretty clear that the country was founded on some kind of generic Deism, but that isn't an absolute of the current population.

I think a SCOTUS appeal would basically endorse both views, basically favoring individual expression, and saying that such is an INDIVIDUAL's right.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Most of America is underneath Canada, so does that mean Canada is God?

 

[bigdog5994]

I still like our old currency line, "e pluribus unum" = "out of many, one".

i like this much more better to

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I changed the motto on the dollar I keep as a souvenier to "In Guns We Trust".

 

[GoodGame]

I changed the motto on the dollar I keep as a souvenier to "In Guns We Trust".

or "In Greenspan We Trusted"

 

[JollyRoger]

When pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth, it is pretty gutsy to invoke a God that abhors idolatry(especially given the insertion of God into the idolatrous ceremony was a decades later afterthought).

 

[bhsup]

allegiance is not worship, jolly.

 

[JollyRoger]

allegiance is not worship, jolly.

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
http://nlt.scripturetext.com/hebrews/13.htm

 

[Formaldehyde]

A 2-1 decision. It will be interesting to see what happens next...

 

[amadeus]

I agree with Lord Gay, "Out of many, one" is a much better motto, especially for a country like the US

Especially after the TARP program.

Out of many, many, many, one!

 

[Yared]

teh internetz will not be liking this!

 

[FriendlyFire]

God save the Queen

 

[LightFang]

I think there'd be less controversy if we turned "Under God" into a reference to some force, rather than an embodiment of a force.

"blessed by Fate", "blessed by Destiny", "blessed by fortune", etc. Something along those lines, a disembodied force that really can't be disagreed with except by people who are REALLY anal about it. It'll put this issue to rest(except for the missionary atheists, of course), and there will be no "good guys" or "bad guys."

Not to be an apologist for the status quo, but a person can also omit "under God" from their pledge if they so wish. Just stay silent during that part. I remember I would do that back in Junior High.

Oh, a classic argument to moderation!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

God save the Queen

The fascist regime?