[Hard_Pill_To_Swallow]

Perjury, like most words, has several senses. Perjury can mean what you said, but in the more general sense, it means breaching an oath.

Suppose an atheist were to pledge allegiance to a nation "under God", a God he does not believe exists. This is clearly a breach of an oath. The Pledge of Allegiance is not just something you say before the teacher calls roll. Naturalized citizens say the Pledge as their first act of citizenship. It is a sacred oath and belongs to every citizen, atheists included.

As you so charitably stated, atheists can choose not to say the Pledge, but this is no different from being forced not to say the Pledge. If they choose to say it, they will be lying, so this is not a choice at all. If the two words "under God" are taken out of the Pledge, no U.S. citizen will be committing perjury when they say the Pledge.

[Jeff Head]

atheists can choose not to say the Pledge, but this is no different from being forced not to say the Pledge

Sorry, this is about as convoluted logic as I have ever seen. Do you actually believe this? That if someone has a choice to say it or not, that this is the same as them being forced to say it.

Such a position is so far out in left field that it defies reason in my opinion. It is not a "hard" pill to swallow ... in fact it cannot be swallowed because such statement and position has no throat. Force of course would mean that they have no choice.

Well, I've said my piece on this and am perfectly content to let others read it and our exchange and come to their own conclusions. Adieu.