Regnum Dominae wrote:"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
These words were added to the Pledge in 1954 due to Cold War-era political pressure to differentiate America from the "godless commies" of the Soviet Union. However, this addition is growing more and more controversial due to its conflict with the principle of separation of church and state as outlined in the Constitution. Supporters of the phrase's inclusion claim that because most Americans are Christian, the phrase is a simple reflection of the will of the people. However, opponents of the phrase's presence in the Pledge argue that it is violates the constitutional principles of church-state separation and freedom of religion, as well as that the US is not a Christian nation.
My opinion:
The addition of "Under God" to the Pledge was unacceptable even considering the circumstances of the Cold War, and now that the Cold War has long been over, it is especially egregious. America is not meant to be a Christian nation, and this is especially true nowadays considering that more and more Americans are not following the Christian religion. Based on Pew Research data from 2012, 27 percent of Americans are not followers of Christianity. When the many non-Christians of America have to recite the Pledge, they are being forced to acknowledge a religious deity that they do not believe to exist. Also, the phrase's presence in the Pledge contradicts freedom of religion and separation of church and state as outlined in the Constitution.
So, what is your opinion? Should the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance stay, or should it go?
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I don't believe it should. The nation wasn't founded for a religion, isn't meant to be any form of a theocratic state. As well, can be considered somewhat marginalizing on religious groups who feel that it is imposing on their own religion. ''Under the people'' sounds better to be frank, since the US is usually considered a democratic country, and the powers of the government originally were meant to be controlled and vested by the power of the people.
In my fullest opinion however, I don't think there should be a pledge regardless. Something about children having to say it in school makes me think of societal brainwashing in that regard. To pledge allegiance to something is very nationalistic, especially when you can make a cross reference to the allegiance going more towards the government or state. I'm Russian, I love my country, no way in hell I'd pledge my allegiance to it. The reason is rather simple, just because the state exist doesn't mean it makes the right decisions all the time, more so than not, they do so for their own agenda using ''public interest'' as a ploy.
I also find it hilarious that some people won't believe that before World War II, Americans used the Bellamy salute, which is the well known ''Nazi salute'' of today. Supporting an idea is alright, supporting the idea of the country is alright, which is can be defined as being patriotic. However, pledging absolute allegiance and subordination to a state especially at a young age seems very wrong.
