[Vision2020] Satanism Was: Of, By

[Paul Rumelhart]

Donovan Arnold wrote:
> Paul,
>  
> You write,
>  
> "I can sympathize with the people who wish to take "Under God" out of the
> Pledge. If it was simply the original wording from way back when, it
> wouldn't really be a problem. However, it was placed there relatively
> recently (1940's?). I think that was a mistake and should probably be
> rectified."
>  
> The words, "Under God" have been in the pledge much longer than they 
> have not been in the pledge. Further, why is something invalid because 
> it was done after 1940? Are the men that fought in World War II not 
> just as worthy of adding to the pledge and American tradition as the 
> original author of the Pledge? They were put there for a reason, to 
> reflect the wishes and beliefs of the American people. Might I also 
> add, that most the vocals against the word "God" in the pledge won't 
> say the pledge anyway. So let the 95%+ of the population say it the 
> way they want, not have to say it the way the other 5% want us to say it.

What you are describing is called the "tyranny of the majority".  The 
government is supposed to represent everyone.  Thus, it can't take a 
stand on religion if even one person who is a citizen of the country 
does not share in those beliefs.  If they took the words out of the 
Pledge, you would be welcome to insert them yourself when you say it.

>  
> "I also don't think the idea is to weed God out of our daily lives. Just
> let the government stay neutral. Protecting the rights of citizens to
> worship as they wish was one of the major driving forces of the founding
> of this country. Keeping the government neutral was meant to help that,
> not hinder it."
>  
> I think it is the idea of Atheists to weed out theism, of any kind, 
> that is why they are called "a" theists, not pro-theists. They want to 
> rid us of tax supported churches, tax supported cemeteries, tax 
> supported chaplains in the military, and tax supported prayer of any 
> kind.  I don't see where you get the idea that the government should 
> be agnostic, or neutral instead of pro-God. This is suppose to be a 
> representative government. The vast majority, 90% +, believe in God, 
> and want Him in their daily lives.  Weeding Him out, as many Atheists 
> are trying to do, is an infringement on the rights of 90% of the 
> people that want an opportunity to be reminded and to pray.

Atheist means "not a theist".  That's all.  Some atheists that care 
enough about it want to undue what some theists have already done in 
certain areas of this country.  That's all.  No atheist that I know of 
is saying that you don't have the right to believe as you wish.  They 
may think you are some combination of naive, gullible, deluded, or 
lacking in critical thinking, but they aren't saying that you can't 
worship as you wish.

As I mentioned above, it is the fact that this country *is* a 
representative government that is a good reason to take anything that is 
pro-one-particular-religion out of anything to do with the State.  You 
aren't representing the atheists of this country when you force them to 
say the Pledge.  Not to mention agnostics, Buddhists, Muslims, 
Scientologists, Jews, and hundreds of others.

This country is not a theocracy, no matter how much you wish it to be so.

>  
> I do agree that the government should be neutral on which religion 
> people follow, not push one over the other. But we have to have God in 
> this country, because otherwise we are restricting religion. 
> Restricting God from government is not freedom of religion, it is an 
> annihilation of it. Freedom of Religion, not Freedom from Religion.

You have God in this country.  You have stated the numbers above.  
Removing mention of God from the Pledge or our currency does not remove 
him from your life.  I'd also like to point out that you don't want 
religion tied to government, you want *your* religion tied to 
government.  This would be a completely different conversation if the 
government had taken it upon itself to put the words "under Allah" in 
the Pledge.

Paul