"One nation under God"

I received a message from a conservative religious organization called "Grassfire Nation," exhorting me to reaffirm my support for "one nation under God." Since they have a website for comments and questions, I replied as follows:

Dear Mr. Connor and Grassfire:

The original wording in the Pledge of Allegiance was simply "one Nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all." It wasn't until 1954 that the phrase "under God" was added when President Eisenhower signed it into law. In so doing, he said that the phrase symbolized "the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty... reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future."

The addition of that phrase marked an unfortunate change to an otherwise honorable pledge, for it suggested that Eisenhower viewed the United States as something very close to a theocracy.

My understanding of our country's heritage is quite different -- that the United States welcomed people of all beliefs, religious or otherwise, so long as they respected the principles of "liberty and justice FOR ALL," which would include liberty and justice for atheists as well as for theists.

But if so, then the phrase "under God" has no place in the Pledge of Allegiance. To make this point even clearer, suppose that the Pledge had said, "one nation under Hinduism, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Would a Christian feel included? No? Then neither does an atheist under the current wording of the Pledge.

Respectfully,

William

Yes, but even the original pledge has profoundly collectivist origins: http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/whats-conservative-about-pledge-allegiance.

Thanks Jules!  That means something, coming from a Canadian! ;-)  Not to highjack this list, but how about them Stanley Cup playoffs, eh!  Can Montreal recover without their stellar goalie, Carey Price?  

. . . Okay, back to the Pledge of Allegiance!  Btw, do you guys have a Pledge of Allegiance?  Or is it just "Oh Canada"?

(Edited by William Dwyer on 5/24, 10:25pm)

Most Canadians know a lot about America however most are so damned oblivious as to how and why the DoI was and is such an amazing and important document.  I view the Pledge as a reaffirmation OF that document as well.  I believe that we don't have one so as to not remind Canadians that we are a colony of the Brits.  It's an odd mix.  Many of our laws are right out of British common law that also in many ways has absorbed some "American flavour" due most likely to many of our shared values and proximity due to our shared border.

There have been some amendments to our constitution as well.  I wish they would photocopy and implement yours and do it right.

Would you accept a pledge of allegiance to a nation of equal rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? -- a pledge of allegiance to the ideal upon which the country was founded? 

I would gladly join a mob dedicated only to defending the idea that I and all of us had a right not to join mobs.   I would do so because I'd want that right for me and my loved ones.

Lather, rinse, repeat.