Someone comparing God to the mythical creatures like the Tooth Fairy is what is scary.
Secondly, NOBODY is "required to swear allegienace" to anything. It's quite simple. If you don't want to say the Pledge, don't; however, that's not good enough for the likes of Newdow.
"Secondly, NOBODY is "required to swear allegienace" to anything. It's quite simple. If you don't want to say the Pledge, don't; however, that's not good enough for the likes of Newdow."
But why should an atheist NOT say the Pledge of Allegiance? I say it, whenever the opportunity comes up. I say it the way I learned it in 1950, omitting the "under God" part because that part would make my pledge a lie.
I say it, and I'm proud to do so. I support my country. I've served my country.
Newdow is an idiot. He's also an individual. What he does has nothing to do with what I do. He's an atheist, and so am I. We couldn't be more different, though.
There are people claiming to be Christians who do some of the worst things I can imagine. I don't extend my feelings towards those people to others who claim to be Christians. I look at individuals and their actions and act accordingly.
I don't support the idiot Newdow. The fact that he says he's an atheist is meaningless to me. He's an idiot.
I believe that we should have the widest possible latitude to practice what ever we want to when it comes to religion....so long as we do not harm or abrogate the rights of others.
I do not think that the power of the state should be used to force others to to follow my chosen philosophy of life, however, or to believe what I believe.
As an atheist, I think that Christians violated my rights when they changed the Pledge of Allegiance by inserting the words "under God"...fifty years after the Pledge was written...and contrary (if we are to believe those who should know) to the wishes of the author.
How would Christians like it if our money had the tag line "In Vishnu We Trust", or if the Pledge read, "one nation under Allah"?