From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Thu Jun 27 2002 - 09:54:02 MDT
On Thursday, June 27, 2002, at 07:07 am, Technotranscendence wrote:
> On Thursday, June 27, 2002 1:17 AM Robert J. Bradbury
> bradbury@aeiveos.com wrote:
>> Allright! Now we are getting somewhere. The 9th U.S. Circuit
>> Court of Appeals has ruled the phrase "one nation under god"
>> violates the separation of state and religion.
>>
>> Any of you parents with young children should make sure
>> that they are not forced to recite the state mandated
>> Pledge of Allegiance from here on out. At least for now
>> we don't need "God" to bless us all.
>
> Of course, if we just rid of public schools, this would be a nonissue.
> Private schools and homeschoolers could then decide whether to recite
> the current, revised 1954 version of the Pledge.
>
> (IMHO, having a loyalty oath at all -- with or without "under God" in
> it -- is just one more similarity between the current US and a classical
> dictatorship. Notably, it's absolute states that typically require such
> oaths and that they be periodically affirmed. That the oath isn't now
> required seems only a formality.)
>
> Sadly, though, this is causing such an uproar and will probably be
> overturned.
Yes, it will be overturned. The Republicans are arguing that it is
literally true that we are a Christian nation. As such, they see
nothing wrong with referencing God everywhere. Our pledge of allegiance
references one nation under God (now). Our money is dedicated to God
(now). We swear in the President with a Bible. Congress starts every
day with a prayer to God. Our Judges swear in witnesses with the
Bible. The Supreme Court has the Ten Commandments posted. Our
Declaration of Independence bases our reasons for our country on our
Creator.
Despite all the founding father's safeguards against forming a state
religion, the Republicans still insist that our entire government is
based on God and the Bible. And they like it that way. In the face of
this recent controversy and recent 9/11 patriotism, they vow to reopen
issues about prayer in school, posting the Ten Commandments, and
enforcing Christian=American values through the government even more.
Bush's faith-based initiatives was just the beginning. Look forward to
a whole new era of faith-based government.
-- Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com> Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>
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