[mlo]

It's perfectly easy to grasp. Why can't a teacher have her class pledge allegiance? This pledge has been in use well over 100 years. And the group left out is pagans and atheists? Give me a damn break! I think there's something sick about a philosophy that sees as one of its achievements stopping the pledge of allegiance in school.

Atheists and pagans don't have rights to their beliefs?

The words "under god" were added in the 1950's. The original pledge did not contain them.

[anniegetyourgun]

Atheists ( just like JW's and others who object) are not required to say the pledge in schools.

[jpl]

Atheists and pagans don't have rights to their beliefs?

They're perfectly free not to say "under God" if they don't want to, and you know it. For that matter, I don't think they can even be forced to recite the pledge at all if they don't want to.

[Williams]

You're right I have changed my mind and now believe the pledge should be changed to read "without God." I do believe however, that the wickens and witches might want some reference to nature or Mother Earth because they worship nature and not a God. I am not a person who wears religion on their sleeve, but I think editing the Pledge of Allegiance to remove "God" is misguided. But then along with the anti Catholic and anti Christian rhetoric I keep hearing on the radio, there are constant references to how the Christians persecuted the poor pagans. The return to paganism will be a real positive step. I guess in the end it's all just anti religious because socialism sees religion asa threat.

[HiTech RedNeck]

So it's still a hoary tradition. I would expect teachers in the area covered by the 9th to say "... one nation" [pregnant pause] "indivisible ..." while the kids fill in the "under God" part on their own.

[alnick]

Atheists and pagans don't have rights to their beliefs?

Of course they have the right to their beliefs. They do not however have the right to suppress the expressions of the beliefs of others because they claim that they are somehow injured by hearing people around them utter the name of God.