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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (52311)	7/5/2002 9:11:29 AM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

How exactly is it insulting and ridiculous? What is the exact nature of the harm? You feel you are made to acknowledge the existence of a being who, in your opinion, does not exist? Is that it? JLA

To: epicure who wrote (52311)	7/5/2002 12:11:50 PM
From: MulhollandDrive	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I agree with that.. "Saying "under God" when one does not believe in God is insulting and ridiculous and is an affirmation of something in words, imo. It is equivalent to being made to say "under Santa", or "under Satan"- neither of which I happen to believe in, and having to pledge "under" either would insult me. " However.. American history is replete with references to God, song, speeches, currency <g>... I absolutely do not see any way to "sanitize" public utterance or records from references to God out of concern that a minority will be offended. If someone attends a Fourth of July celebration and there is a rendering of "America The Beautiful" and some people are offended....my suggestion is it's a free country...start a "god-free" 4th of July celebration of their own. I am more troubled by the Pledge of Allegiance because of the "coercive" nature of peer pressure and pressure of "authority" in public schools. I would much rather see the students who want to recite the pledge go outside, maybe salute the flag (yes we still have them in our district at the public schools) and recite the pledge completely as a result of independent thinking and self motivation. And if the "non-pledge" students (or their parents ) are offended....well I'm really sorry about that... but Too bad.. It then becomes a freedom of expression issue.... and to impose a further restriction would create an atmosphere which I consider to be the "tyranny of the minority". Which I believe is oppressive AND unconstitutional.

To: epicure who wrote (52311)	7/5/2002 1:25:55 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Saying "under God" when one does not believe in God is insulting and ridiculous Then don't say it. Nobody is making you say it. You keep sliding over that point. But it's there. I have a right to say it and you have a right to not say it, so we are equally and should be equally content.