You know, there is a large and growing Hindu population in this country that believes in many gods, a Pantheon, a population of citizens which finds the assertion of monotheism inaccurate if not offensive.
There are over a million Hindus in this country, legally as citizens or green card holders. Many were born here. There are some Muslims too, whose religion makes it difficult to refer to Allah without some phrases such as "peace be upon him" (or something like that, I am not totally familiar with the requirements). For them and probably others who are here in smaller numbers, a reference to "under God" would cause internal spiritual conflict. There are many who feel strongly that there is no God or Gods and that religion has been a powerfully destructive force throughout the ages, used to inflame passions and control populaces.
What do we accomplish by requiring schoolchildren to recite words about some undefined "God" when the words (a) weren't even in the pledge to begin with until Congress passed a law adding them; (b) have nothing to do with patriotism or the flag; and (c) take what is intended to be a patriotic expression of loyalty to our nation and flag and tinge it with religious conflict.
On another thread, I asked people how they would feel if they lived in a place that required the words "under Allah" instead of "under God". There are such places. Saudi Arabia is one. Iran is another (all public contracts contain the words "in the name of God", a requirement added by the mullahs who took over 20 years back). The Taliban-controlled Afghanistan was like that. Pakistan is like that.
Are those really the countries we want to emulate?
As for assimilation, I am married to someone who assimilated just fine, comes from a family whose religious beliefs were polytheistic but who are probably the most patriotic Americans I know. My father in law had an American flag on his license plates after September 11.....not just this past year, but in 1983, and every year since.
The economic liberties, the political liberties, the religious liberties that we enjoy here are what attract talented people here. By not being forced to reject their own spiritual choices or to adhere to the majority's religious choices, they are being assimilated into the country that has more personal freedoms than any other that has ever existed. |
