tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post968818154536392580..comments2023-10-24T04:29:23.693-06:00Comments on Atheist Ethicist: The Pledge Project: Sound BytesAlonzo Fyfehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-47591207798680210552008-06-26T08:07:00.000-06:002008-06-26T08:07:00.000-06:00I simply use the fact that this is not the origina...I simply use the fact that this is not the original pledge and only points up a place in time when we feared a "commie under every bed". Better that we return it to the original that was inclusive and unafraid, than to keep on reminding people that at one time this country feared others different from ourselves.<BR/>AstridAstridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15759613845923109346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-58579500969161223222008-06-22T12:34:00.000-06:002008-06-22T12:34:00.000-06:00If you're pledging allegiance to "one nation under...If you're pledging allegiance to "one nation under God", you're pledging allegiance to God. The nation is just the middleman! Why should the US government be forcing children to pledge allegiance to (the Christian) God?<BR/><BR/>Also, this is not about atheists vs. "people of faith". It's dishonest for the religious conservatives to frame it in those terms, and foolish for us to let them. There are minority religious (including Christian) groups who find a pledge of allegiance just as offensive as we do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-73107352479269397352008-06-21T16:00:00.000-06:002008-06-21T16:00:00.000-06:00One argument I haven't yet seen addressed is that ...One argument I haven't yet seen addressed is that "'Under God' and 'In God We Trust' is now a tradition. No one's complained about them until now. Why are you doing so?"<BR/><BR/>One response might be, "crime and war have always been around. Does that mean that we should respect and promote them?"<BR/><BR/>Of course, people HAVE complained about these religious phrases. But they've been buried by the courts and media.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-51504021020088374602008-06-21T15:58:00.000-06:002008-06-21T15:58:00.000-06:00I'd like to encourage as many analogies as possibl...I'd like to encourage as many analogies as possible in these soundbites. Analogies can be quite powerful and concise in making one's point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-23824848358745426112008-06-19T22:24:00.000-06:002008-06-19T22:24:00.000-06:00I sent a couple of messages to people on YouTube t...I sent a couple of messages to people on YouTube to see if they might be interested in helping with this project.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-26861997203298352382008-06-19T20:05:00.000-06:002008-06-19T20:05:00.000-06:00Attempts to characterize objections to 'under God'...Attempts to characterize objections to 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance as 'offense at the mere mention of God in the public square' is a bit like characterizing objections to slavery in the 1850 as 'objections to having blacks do an honest day’s work'.Alonzo Fyfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-27525191971517673062008-06-19T19:00:00.000-06:002008-06-19T19:00:00.000-06:00AnonymousThank you for the suggestion.Unfortunatel...<B>Anonymous</B><BR/><BR/>Thank you for the suggestion.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, I am not the best public speaker. I have a lot of practice writing, but little practice speaking.<BR/><BR/>However, if somebody out there has the technology and thinks they have the personality to create and narrate a video, I would love to do the writing.Alonzo Fyfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-8956642454664368682008-06-19T18:34:00.000-06:002008-06-19T18:34:00.000-06:00It would be great if you did a video blog of the P...It would be great if you did a video blog of the Pledge series on YouTube. A lot of people won't sit and read these, but they have a lotof important information.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-42976448505903230682008-06-19T08:46:00.000-06:002008-06-19T08:46:00.000-06:00I usually point out that "Under God" or "In God we...I usually point out that "Under God" or "In God we Trust" is exactly the sort of phrase a brutal theocracy could use, and doesn't say anything about what's actually good about America.<BR/><BR/>This isn't an "anti-religion" argument, as religion doesn't necessarily imply theocracy. With regards to the motto, the sheer emptiness of the phrase now bothers me as much as the implied bigotry.CrypticLifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05313033952671292402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-79071729349101945802008-06-19T05:42:00.000-06:002008-06-19T05:42:00.000-06:00That sign (In God We Trust) says that we have two ...That sign (<I>In God We Trust</I>) says that we have two classes of citizens in this country; first class citizens who trust in God and who have our government's approval, and second class citizens who do not and have our government's disapproval.Alonzo Fyfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05687777216426347054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16594468.post-16875974425876744672008-06-19T05:17:00.000-06:002008-06-19T05:17:00.000-06:00I tend to emphasize that the presence of "under go...I tend to emphasize that the presence of "under god" in the pledge and on U.S. currency is exclusionary. It excludes all non-theists from being part of America.vjackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05868095335395368227noreply@blogger.com