"This includes evil. So is evil part of His design too?"
I like logic also but I do believe in a grand creator or the originator of a grand design. To answer your question, I would simply say that the design whether you believe in an originator or not, contains intelligent creatures that get to decide actions outside of animal instinct, like a cat for example.
Humans can decide actions that are harmful or what you are calling 'evil' to other portions of the design or they can decide to be helpful. So is being helpful 'good' and being harmful 'evil'? Part of what science cannot understand or explain at this point in time, are the reasons we are guided by moral principles of right or wrong. The bible and other spiritual beliefs offer theories as to why this is. I believe it is the genetic blueprint of DNA in our brain instilled by an originator that sends and receives electronic signal to make such decisions based on random variance of events, hitoric and speculative.
God is a faith issue. I believe it can and should be taught as part of American history or social studies. Why? America was founded as 'one nation under God' bearing a moral standard of being good by promoting freedoms. Freedoms which include which beliefs we choose and practice. Should it be taught as science? No. It is not a scientific argument. We know evolution happens so the evolution process should be taught as science.
However, neither party can truly quantify the originator of the design so filling in the blanks as opinion, speculation or a belief should be allowed by a teacher. Should it be written in on science textbooks? No. Should we all be able to mention God, Allah, Christ or whatever you believe at school? Sure! The whole issue of the removing God or an originator from the pledge of allegiance or court-rooms becomes a issue of what moral principles our country and justice system will fall back on.
I like logic also but I do believe in a grand creator or the originator of a grand design. To answer your question, I would simply say that the design whether you believe in an originator or not, contains intelligent creatures that get to decide actions outside of animal instinct, like a cat for example.
You "like" logic but logic is not an emotion, it is a skill. How well do you wield the skill? The sentence portion "contains intelligent creatures that get to decide actions outside of animal instinct, like a cat for example." Makes no sense. Cats don't "decide" anything. All they have is instinct. The sentence is self contradictory.
Part of what science cannot understand or explain at this point in time, are the reasons we are guided by moral principles of right or wrong. The bible and other spiritual beliefs offer theories as to why this is.
If all "spiritual beliefs" taught the same thing then I might agree with you, but they don't. What is evil in one religion is good in another, and vice versa, destroying all hope of objectivity. It is merely one opinion against another.
God is a faith issue
I completely agree, and as such, has no place in compulsory government schools that my tax dollars go to fund. Tax dollars should not go to fund the teaching of any religious faith.
America was founded as 'one nation under God' bearing a moral standard of being good by promoting freedoms.
Not so. The phrase you quote was a compiling of a socialist pledge combined with an injected religious doctrine at a much later date.
Should we all be able to mention God, Allah, Christ or whatever you believe at school?
Who is "we?" Teachers, administrators, principles. Then I disagree with you. If my tax dollars go to support compulsory government schools then religious teachings should be no part of it. Whether it is Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Wicca it shouldn't be part of a government school curriculum.
The whole issue of the removing God or an originator from the pledge of allegiance
I don't think children forced to attend compulsory government schools should have to recite ANY mantra, Pledge of Allegiance or otherwise. That is what is wrong with this line of thinking. Stop programming kids how to think and teach them the three Rs and science and computers and geography. Not reciting pledges, how to put on condoms and other social brainwash programming.
. . . but I do believe in a grand creator . . . I believe it is the genetic blueprint of DNA . . . I believe it can and should be taught . . . Freedoms which include which beliefs . . . whatever you believe at school . . .
I the logic of this speaks for itself.