The Pledge...

The Pledge of Allegiance was, originally:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

In 1923 the pledge was changed so that new immigrants wouldn't confuse loyalties with their country of origin. It was:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

In 1954, after years of pressure from religious influences, the words "under god" were added, bringing the Pledge to the wording we have today.

Why is this not ok? Because "under god" is an insult to every American who doesn't believe in this nebulous "god". Atheists, obviously, are the first people that pop to mind for who's being insulted, but let's not forget Apatheists, Secularists, Humanists, Wiccans, and anyone else who isn't Christian. Oh, yes, the non-specific "god" is supposedly intended to include other religions, but the words were added by Christians for Christians. This is where the bullshit of "we are a Christian nation" began, and here it must end.

We are not a Christian nation. That's what the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state are all about. We are a nation of all religions and none, or at least we're supposed to be. So every time someone posts their little "say the pledge like we always did" bullshit on Facebook or sends on a forwarded email chain of the same crap I get pissed. This isn't a little deal. It's a big deal. I thought the "under god" line should be removed when I was active at my parents church, I thought the same when I flirted with atheism, the same when I went Buddhist, and the same now that I'm an apatheist. It has nothing to do with my religion and everything to do with believing in liberty and justice for all, because there are no exceptions listed after "for all", and until 1954 there weren't any exceptions in the Pledge either.

To put it in terms that might resonate with you more, imagine if instead of "one nation under god" the pledge read "one white nation". Would that be just as ok? No! It would be unimaginably racist and wouldn't even be considered to be added to the pledge. So how is "under god" any better? It isn't. If you'd like to see this horrible and apt comparison thoroughly examined, read this. It gets the point across more eloquently than I could.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: If the pledge is to be spoken in schools, in government buildings, or in the public square, it must be representative of ALL Americans. Excise two inappropriate words, and no one in the country would ever complain about the Pledge again. That way we truly could get back to being, "one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."