POLITICS: Re: Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional

From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Thu Jun 27 2002 - 14:54:59 MDT


>From: Harvey Newstrom <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>

>Agreed. But just because they are unwilling or unable to fight
>this trend does not mean they are equally to blame. Historically,
>it has been the religous right, not the liberal left, that
>promotes faith-based initiatives, prayer in school, ten
>commandments on display, etc.

The religious right is just one element of the Republician party,
and no where near as large as they would have you believe. I think
it's important to remember this. I think it's also important to
actively resist them.

If as someone indicated earlier the Senate passed a unanimous vote
in favor of the pledge then either 51 Democrats believe it to be
true or are moral cowards.

Unwilling and unable are very different things.

> For the record I agree with the courts ruling.

>Me too. I can't image how anybody can claim that inserting an
>affirmation of God into a pledge to our country is not blurring
>the division between church and state. It clearly makes it so
>that non-Christians can't make the pledge. They literally believe
>we are a christian nation and that only christians should be
>citizens. (Remember Ronald Reagan saying that atheists don't
>deserve the rights of christian citizens?) The religious right
>seems determined to push their interpretation that we are a
>Christian Nation into governmental structure.

In another matter, I for one would be unable to take the oath
required of our troops serving under the United Nations since it
recinds the oath I took previously.

Several moderates here are suggesting that if kids (or anyone else)
has a problem with those words (I do) that they simply not say
them.

This of course ducks the issue.

I got in a bit of a mess a few years ago when I was being sworn in
at court and pointed out to the presiding judge that I was
agnostic...

Brian

Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W



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