Sen. Harry Reid leaving out "under God" in his recitation of the Pledge Of Allegiance. It figures that this statist would eliminate the phrase that alludes to a power greater that the power of government.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vid...ng_pledge.html

what's the big deal?

I leave it out. Yet I DO believe in something beyond what we can see and hear here. I've had a glimpse of it when I drowned in a river in 1978.

Religion has little to no place in politics. And, for the record, don't confuse spirituality with religion. To explain what I mean: Believe in God = Spirituality. Rules of the Catholic/Protestant/Islamic/Judaic church = religion.

waynet - how about because this nation was founded on the principle of religious freedom; that the puritans were all about strict interpretation of the bible and recognized the importance of god in their lives; and that the founding fathers gave praise and thanks every day for their deliverance from religious tyranny and persecution; and that because of them and their principles we still can cherish and give thanks for the freedom to worship on these shores today?

Originally Posted by waynet

what's the big deal?

The Big Deal is that Mr. Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, altered the words of the Pledge of Allegiance that was legally written to include those words in 1954 by a Congressional Bill.

Let him go before his constituents and proclaim his aversion to recognizing his creator and his intention of passing a new bill to remove these words that he cannot speak.

nj,our founding fathers were NOT religious men. As for Reid,I still don't care. God,no god,it's not a big deal. I'd just as soon leave god out of all our conversations so people in America don't claim him or her as their own. I'm sick of people doing things in the name of god like they know him. I hate to break it to some of you but god is not on our side. Being all knowing he's too smart to take sides in some of our present day debates.

Originally Posted by njbchbum

waynet - how about because this nation was founded on the principle of religious freedom; that the puritans were all about strict interpretation of the bible and recognized the importance of god in their lives; and that the founding fathers gave praise and thanks every day for their deliverance from religious tyranny and persecution; and that because of them and their principles we still can cherish and give thanks for the freedom to worship on these shores today?

Question? Was the phrase "Under God" in the orginial version of the pledge?

Just wondering....

Originally Posted by RichieLion

The Big Deal is that Mr. Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, altered the words of the Pledge of Allegiance that was legally written to include those words in 1954 by a Congressional Bill.

Let him go before his constituents and proclaim his aversion to recognizing his creator and his intention of passing a new bill to remove these words that he cannot speak.

Thank you....I didn't think it was in the original pledge.

You know, you can argue all day as to whether or not the Founding Fathers were Christian or not - it really depends on your definition of "Christian". But to say they weren't *religious* is way out there. At the very least, they were Deists. They certainly believed in God. Jefferson himself wrote a LOT about his scorn for the heirarchy of organized religion to the point that he started to EDIT the Bible. Heck, HE was the first (to my knowledge) person to translate the Koran into English in this country.

He *did* believe in God but mocked many of the trappings of, for example, the Catholic church. As an example:

And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter

is disliked by whomever to stop????

The comfort factor is that the majority (for now anyway) like it the way it is!!!

I think today I will try the concept of disregarding what I don't care for....like ignoring do not enter signs. How dare they impede my intent to proceed!!

btk

According to Wikipedia, the Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy. It has been modified 4 times, the latest in 1954 when "under god" was added. Religious freedom gives the freedom not to believe as well which is why the separation of church and state should be absolute. People who are agnostic or atheist are just like you, with moral beliefs just as strong and a love of their country. Religion in today's world does more harm than good, and has further divided people like no other time in the world. Sad, isn't it?

"Religion in today's world does more harm than good, and has further divided people like no other time in the world."

With less religion we would be better off? "...in today's world...?

The only difference in "today's world" is the minority is amplified by the media to be the rule of the day. The majority is still quite happy with the amount of religion we have had for centuries.

Without the media amplifier and the spineless government representatives afraid of losing a vote the majority would still be the measure of the day and the minority count would be .....some where....like it always has.

While all are entitled to the beliefs and opinions, to state religion does more harm than good is the most absurd pronouncement of all time.

btk