[Junior]

Out of curiosity, what's the good of a compulsory pledge? If the person being forced to pledge allegiance to the flag doesn't feel allegiance to that flag, or that giving an oath to anyone but God is a sin, what good has it done? Methinks a lot of folks have fallen for the old "appearance of patriotism == patriotism" and others go along with it because they don't want to stand out or draw adverse attention to themselves.

[js1138]

I agree that anyone motivated to harm the country will not be stopped by reciting the Pledge. But there are psychological effects that I think are not entirely bad. I can recall most of the Boy Scout oath and law, and I think that reciting them umpteen times affected the way I think about morality.

On the whole I think the Boy Scout oath and law are superior to the Pledge of Allegiance.