I am proposing an amendment to the pledge so that we can be all inclusive. After all why should Christians get it all.
I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, Allah, Yahweh, Ababinini, Yu-huang, Chukwu, or none at all, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
There are probably more deities out there in the good old USA that are believed but these are the only ones that I could find with my limited research capabilities.
[youtube:9hacqwoi]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2BfqDUPL1I[/youtube:9hacqwoi]
[-X :rollin: You younger crowd here probably don't know the pledge in my day never had "under God" in it. This pledge says liberty and justice for all, tell that to the minorities and women that lived then. :roll: Solitary
(//http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Students_pledging_allegiance_to_the_American_flag_with_the_Bellamy_salute.jpg)
Quote from: "IMMadAsHell"I am proposing an amendment to the pledge so that we can be all inclusive. After all why should Christians get it all.
I pledge allegiance to a perfectly ordinary piece of cloth in a mindless act of submission to
whichever federal government whose territory I happened to be born into
and to the Republic for which it used to be,
one nation increasingly divided, with liberty and/or justice for those who can afford it
FIFY.
This is a really old thread, but I didn't want to start a brand new one when there was already a perfectly good one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWTSm6duXk
I hope this will become a trend and go viral across the whole country.
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 13, 2018, 07:41:41 PM
This is a really old thread, but I didn't want to start a brand new one when there was already a perfectly good one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWTSm6duXk
I hope this will become a trend and go viral across the whole country.
I pledge allegiance to Ho Chi Minh ...
And to the communism for which he stands ...
One politburo, under proletarian dictatorship, within the Comintern ...
With liberty for all revolutionary cadre, and death for all running dogs of capitalism.
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 13, 2018, 07:41:41 PM
This is a really old thread, but I didn't want to start a brand new one when there was already a perfectly good one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CWTSm6duXk
I hope this will become a trend and go viral across the whole country.
Unfortunately they caved quickly (http://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2018/08/10/after-backlash-atlanta-school-will-once-again-recite-pledge-in-the-morning/)
They could sing the Internationale instead ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sh4kz_zhyo
Or La Marseillaise ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laWIjgWDesE
I agree that the pledge should be all inclusive, but it's just a pledge, one of the first memorizations we learn as children. As a small child, I enjoyed saying it every morning in school, but only because it was something we could all do and perform equally well. But mostly, it's just some bullshit we learned to recite. It's not legally binding. No one is committed to believing that it reflects some kind of reality about the United States of America. I kind of understood that as a child. I remember when they added "under God" because there was a lot of approving fal-der-rahl about it, both in school and at home.
Today, I feel a mild annoyance when we say it because it seems like indoctrination forced upon us by an entity of highly questionable ethics. Not that I feel more allegiance to some other country. It just doesn't mean much to me, especially when I'm pledging allegiance to the whole package (the USA and all it stands for), much of which is downright distasteful.
When it's all said and done, no one is going to come back at me for opposing one of our stupid wars and remind me that I made a pledge or took an oath to support the folly and bigotry of a president, Congress, or the Supreme Court.
Patriotism is a tricky subject, even for patriots. However not all people opposed to the Vietnam war, in the US, did it because LBJ was the monster who started it ... we didn't know that until much later. 2005 vs 1965.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2008-02/truth-about-tonkin.
Not that knowing in advance, declassified info revealed 40 years later is the only reason for opposing a particular war, or any war.
But after this much time, the actual reasons why people supported or didn't support it ... have become very rose colored.
We could out much more quickly what a turkey shoot the 2003 Iraq war was. Partly because of alt-journalism. You would have never heard of it from MSM.
If you really want to pledge to immaculate conception ethics, be a Jesus Freak.
Quote from: Poison Tree on August 14, 2018, 12:23:04 AM
Unfortunately they caved quickly (http://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2018/08/10/after-backlash-atlanta-school-will-once-again-recite-pledge-in-the-morning/)
Damn, that sucks, but I didn't really expect it to last long, my pessimism wouldn't allow me to think otherwise.
It's just another one of those commandments of Jesus that are completely ignored:
Matthew 5:34-37
QuoteBut I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
James 5:12
QuoteBut above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Taking an on oath or a pledge is swearing, but I bet Christians have some verbal gymnastics to allow it anyway.
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 14, 2018, 01:34:29 PM
Damn, that sucks, but I didn't really expect it to last long, my pessimism wouldn't allow me to think otherwise.
I am a pessimist too. It is the shared experience of both theist and atheist. Time/Chronos is a devouring Father.
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 14, 2018, 01:42:12 PM
It's just another one of those commandments of Jesus that are completely ignored:
Matthew 5:34-37
James 5:12
Taking an on oath or a pledge is swearing, but I bet Christians have some verbal gymnastics to allow it anyway.
Quakers agree with you. Are you a Quaker?
Christians ignore scripture. They are right to do so. Since the Devil can quote scripture to His own purpose.
It was always only the "under God" part that bothered me as a child.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 15, 2018, 01:41:53 PM
It was always only the "under God" part that bothered me as a child.
Given your nature, from your youth, that is only natural. I think you are a patriot, just not the same flavor as I am. And I don't suppose your reservation about that oath, was because you or your parents were communists.
Quote from: SGOS on August 14, 2018, 09:22:33 AM
I agree that the pledge should be all inclusive, but it's just a pledge, one of the first memorizations we learn as children. As a small child, I enjoyed saying it every morning in school, but only because it was something we could all do and perform equally well. But mostly, it's just some bullshit we learned to recite. It's not legally binding. No one is committed to believing that it reflects some kind of reality about the United States of America. I kind of understood that as a child. I remember when they added "under God" because there was a lot of approving fal-der-rahl about it, both in school and at home.
Today, I feel a mild annoyance when we say it because it seems like indoctrination forced upon us by an entity of highly questionable ethics. Not that I feel more allegiance to some other country. It just doesn't mean much to me, especially when I'm pledging allegiance to the whole package (the USA and all it stands for), much of which is downright distasteful.
When it's all said and done, no one is going to come back at me for opposing one of our stupid wars and remind me that I made a pledge or took an oath to support the folly and bigotry of a president, Congress, or the Supreme Court.
Still brainwasing and propaganda
Quote from: Draconic Aiur on September 15, 2018, 03:40:19 PM
Still brainwasing and propaganda
But are you anarchist? Anti-Education anti-parents? Otherwise ... you can't escape the brainwashing or the propaganda. At least in that case, you end up with a clean brain that is also blindly obedient.
Anyone else take the Boy Scout oath?
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.
Yeah, I wasn't able to keep that oath..
The only thing to which we should be pledging allegiance is the Constitution of the U.S. - not the flag, not the president, not the national anthem.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on September 15, 2018, 07:39:12 PM
Anyone else take the Boy Scout oath?
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.
I remember that! Some things you can't unlearn.
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 15, 2018, 07:55:49 PM
The only thing to which we should be pledging allegiance is the Constitution of the U.S. - not the flag, not the president, not the national anthem.
Military pledges to the Constitution, as ordered by the President and officers appointed by him/her. All enemies, foreign and domestic. One really can't salute the flag, except as symbolic of the above, though obviously the "under god" part doesn't disqualify atheist personnel. The national anthem again is symbolic of the primary oath was well, in the same qualified manner.
Otherwise ... one is being a Confederate or worse.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on September 15, 2018, 07:39:12 PM
Anyone else take the Boy Scout oath?
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.
Yeah, I wasn't able to keep that oath..
Obviously the "morally straight" is harder for some of us. That and "reverent" ... but the rest are pretty reliable.
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 15, 2018, 07:55:49 PM
The only thing to which we should be pledging allegiance is the Constitution of the U.S. - not the flag, not the president, not the national anthem.
I think of the Pledge in terms of what the flag is supposed to stand for, so I don't have a real problem with it. I do leave out two words towards the end, however. And I'm wavering on whether I think 'indivisible' is an appropriate word to include; I happen to believe that states do have the right to secede if they so choose. The Supreme Court has so far only ruled that unilateral secession is not Constitutional (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_v._White), although that decision was handed down only four years after the Civil War, and I don't think they were in much of a mood to legitimize anything done by the Confederacy.
But fundamentally, if the Congress agreed to allow, say, Texas secede and then Texas voted to secede either by vote in the state house or by binding plebescite â€" or if Texas presented Congress with a request to secede and convinced Congress to pass it â€" there's no reason Texas can't secede.
The only reason why Texas would secede, is so that we can unambiguously invade and conquer the other 49 states ;-))
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 15, 2018, 07:55:49 PM
The only thing to which we should be pledging allegiance is the Constitution of the U.S. - not the flag, not the president, not the national anthem.
That's what military people do. I swear to defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. ...
Quote from: GSOgymrat on September 15, 2018, 07:39:12 PM
Anyone else take the Boy Scout oath?
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.
Yeah, I wasn't able to keep that oath..
Yeah, I took that. But my hand was not on a bible so it did not count.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on September 16, 2018, 03:02:04 PM
That's what military people do. I swear to defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. ...
I took that oath. So, with that oath in mind, should not the Joint Chiefs of Staff be planning to remove Trump from office and return this country to rule by the constitution????
I definitely think of Trump as a "domestic enemy."
Quote from: Mike Cl on September 16, 2018, 03:10:12 PM
I took that oath. So, with that oath in mind, should not the Joint Chiefs of Staff be planning to remove Trump from office and return this country to rule by the constitution????
They acquiesced to the elimination of JFK, so don't ask unless you like the consequences. They aren't a 4th branch of government. Unless you want to be more like Latin America. The military obeys the President (under UCMJ) and the chain of command. And they are not politically active. This obedience is what made Grant a hero and Lee a goat. Democrats typically have divided loyalties ... some to regions (California) ... others to ideology. I am not sure the Republicans have a regionalism, more a class loyalty. And of course ideology.
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 16, 2018, 05:11:53 PM
I definitely think of Trump as a "domestic enemy."
I think of the Bushes and Clintons the same way. But it is a good thing we don't act on that. Otherwise we could look like Rome during a civil war of the late Republic. Eventually you get a military dictatorship that way.
There are legal ways of acting against a sitting President. But both major parties are made up of posturing cowards. If you support "end justifies the means" then you are fascist. There are a lot of fascists posting here, when their political dreams are pissed on. Acting outside the Constitution nearly got us destroyed last time (1861-1865). I wouldn't chance it.
Quote from: IMMadAsHell on June 18, 2013, 11:16:19 PM
I am proposing an amendment to the pledge so that we can be all inclusive. After all why should Christians get it all.
I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, Allah, Yahweh, Ababinini, Yu-huang, Chukwu, or none at all, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
There are probably more deities out there in the good old USA that are believed but these are the only ones that I could find with my limited research capabilities.
I propose we go back to the Pledge I learned in the first grade, when there was no mention of imaginary deities.
(Under god was added in 1954)
Yes, I'm that damn old
Quote from: Mike Cl on September 16, 2018, 03:10:12 PM
I took that oath. So, with that oath in mind, should not the Joint Chiefs of Staff be planning to remove Trump from office and return this country to rule by the constitution????
Just shoot him.
I wouldn't say that too loudly, if I were you, you might get a visit by men in black, in black helicopters...
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 17, 2018, 01:16:07 PM
I wouldn't say that too loudly, if I were you, you might get a visit by men in black, in black helicopters...
No doubt, he was on the grassy knoll in 1963 ;-(
See, this is why there is no morality, because it all depends on which politician you love or detest.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on September 15, 2018, 07:39:12 PM
Anyone else take the Boy Scout oath?
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.
Yeah, I wasn't able to keep that oath..
It was the "god" part that really bothered me. I never WAS "reverent". LOL!
Whenever required to say the pledge, I always say 'one nation under bob'.
Small victories and all.
I did feel pride in that I memorized the list. It was a nice list of traits, and sometimes I would even do those things. Reverent was a special case. Think about it. I could picture myself being obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, etc,. They were all traits requiring some kind of executable and observable behaviors, but I had a hard time picturing myself being reverent.
clean = washing with soap
brave = taking on a bigger kid
thrifty = not buying something I didn't need
cheerful = looking happy and laughing
etc.
But what does it look like to be reverent? Praying? Sure I prayed, but was that the same thing as being reverent, or was it just begging? I came up with a visual picture of myself looking serious and stubbornly not saying anything. That was the image for "Reverent" that always came to mind as I tried to internalize the traits.
Does that make sense? I tend to visualize things I learn, so there's usually an associated image, but the one for "Reverent" seemed kind of weak and could be interpreted in any number of ways as being something else entirely. There was a vagueness about it.
Yeah, a prayer could be selfish, or not. Reverent means showing deep respect. Something difficult for a teen. Usually an off-shoot of humility, also something difficult for a teen.
Right, all teens are one monolithic group, with no variation among them.
Quote from: Unbeliever on September 22, 2018, 01:27:26 PM
Right, all teens are one monolithic group, with no variation among them.
Thanks to variation in population, we needn't worry about Nazis etc, because there are good Nazis and bad Nazis.
Or are you saying, you like all the Luke Skywalker angst/whine from teens?
I recall that by high school, no one bothered doing the pledge and the teachers didn't bother trying to enforce it.
But if students must recite the pledge of allegiance, I recommend bringing back the Bellamy salute.
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/CasesCorner/Nazi-Salute_pledge-utah.jpg)
Quote from: the_antithesis on September 22, 2018, 03:40:10 PM
I recall that by high school, no one bothered doing the pledge and the teachers didn't bother trying to enforce it.
Yeah, as I recall, it just quietly went away. It gradually went from mandatory to suggested to occasionally to 'occasionally rare' to forgotten. That's the way I remember. In grade school, it was kind of fun saying it, but that wasn't enough to keep it going. I'd like to understand the group psychology that changed it's importance.
Quote from: the_antithesis on September 22, 2018, 03:40:10 PM
I recall that by high school, no one bothered doing the pledge and the teachers didn't bother trying to enforce it.
But if students must recite the pledge of allegiance, I recommend bringing back the Bellamy salute.
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff279/CasesCorner/Nazi-Salute_pledge-utah.jpg)
That was a good change, in 1942. We want to be clear which asshole group we were allied with. At that time S Democrats and Republicans sided with the Axis.
Quote from: SGOS on September 22, 2018, 04:00:10 PM
Yeah, as I recall, it just quietly went away. It gradually went from mandatory to suggested to occasionally to 'occasionally rare' to forgotten. That's the way I remember. In grade school, it was kind of fun saying it, but that wasn't enough to keep it going. I'd like to understand the group psychology that changed it's importance.
That is what I remember. Pretty much there in the first three grades. Probably the Establishment was trying to not stir things up too much, while ramping up the Vietnam War?
Quote from: ferdmonger on September 22, 2018, 12:33:31 AM
Whenever required to say the pledge, I always say 'one nation under bob'.
Small victories and all.
Underbreath victories are cheap, but yeah, that's how I started. Ya gotta dip your toe in the water first to see what bites and then jump later.
Quote from: Feral Atheist on September 16, 2018, 11:11:56 PM
I propose we go back to the Pledge I learned in the first grade, when there was no mention of imaginary deities.
(Under god was added in 1954)
Yes, I'm that damn old
And I'm that damned old too. Almost. But within remembering.
I would love to see some House Member (retiring of course) sneak in "Restore the Pledge Of Allegiance as it was in 1950" into a huge complicated budget bill. And if that worked, get "In God We Trust" off our currency.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 23, 2018, 03:03:16 AM
And I'm that damned old too. Almost. But within remembering.
I would love to see some House Member (retiring of course) sneak in "Restore the Pledge Of Allegiance as it was in 1950" into a huge complicated budget bill. And if that worked, get "In God We Trust" off our currency.
Good suggestions actually. Those are old virtue signaling bull-shits. We should say In Satan We Trust etc.
Quote from: Baruch on September 23, 2018, 06:45:35 AM
Good suggestions actually. Those are old virtue signaling bull-shits. We should say In Satan We Trust etc.
Being an actual atheist, I care little for Satan either. I leave him to the elves. BTW, did you notice the son Christopher has published 'The Fall of Gondolin'? I hope it isn't "Gondolin With The Wind'...
Quote from: Cavebear on September 23, 2018, 01:21:19 PM
Being an actual atheist, I care little for Satan either. I leave him to the elves. BTW, did you notice the son Christopher has published 'The Fall of Gondolin'? I hope it isn't "Gondolin With The Wind'...
Well, haven't read much of that since the hard back version of the Silmarillion.
Quote from: Baruch on September 23, 2018, 01:37:37 PM
Well, haven't read much of that since the hard back version of the Silmarillion.
Seriously, check out the new trilogy. The critics like them. On the other hand, "don't crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers".
Quote from: Cavebear on September 23, 2018, 01:21:19 PM
Being an actual atheist, I care little for Satan either. I leave him to the elves. BTW, did you notice the son Christopher has published 'The Fall of Gondolin'? I hope it isn't "Gondolin With The Wind'...
Or how about "Gondolin 60 Seconds"? LOL
It's Buzzfeed but it's on topic.
Texas Just Said In Court That A Black Girl Had To Stand For The Pledge Of Allegiance
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/dominicholden/texas-black-student-india-landry-stand-pledge-allegiance-nfl
The state of Texas inserted itself into a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday to help argue that a black high school student was required to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, once again kicking the political football of flag protests into play weeks before the fall election. ...
Landry â€" then 17, now 18 â€" was attending Windfern High School in Houston last fall, where she had abstained from the Pledge of Allegiance more than 200 times without a problem, she said in a complaint filed in federal court. But on Oct. 2, 2017, she was in Principal Martha Strother’s office when she refused to stand during the pledge. “Principal Strother upon seeing this immediately expelled India from school saying ‘Well you’re kicked outta here,’†the complaint continues, adding that a school secretary then added, “This is not the NFL.†...
So encouraging race war, are we? When the Dems aren't enslaving Blacks, they are using them as troops against the Reps. And Blacks don't get the irony. Sounds like a narrative written in Moscow to me.
Quote from: Cavebear on September 23, 2018, 01:40:16 PM
Seriously, check out the new trilogy. The critics like them. On the other hand, "don't crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers".
Just discovered Amazon is offerring a special of the last 3 hardback books for $46.39. I ordered them.