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

To: Solon who wrote (52847)	7/12/2002 2:40:29 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

When the official pledge of allegiance asserts that God is the Supreme Authority rather than the people (the Nation being UNDER God), that definitely establishes metaphysics or religion as--not only an allegiance of the citizen--but the HIGHEST and ultimate allegiance of the citizen...an allegiance which is ABOVE the Nation, and is to a Supernatural Being. Its an offical pledge in a similar way to how a state bird is an official bird or "The Star Spangled Banner" to be the national anthem. It is not an enforced loyalty pledge either in the sense that people are forced to make the pledge or that they can be punished for violating it or disagreeing with it. Allegiance to God should be a personal commitment from individuals who wish to nurture and honor personal and private beliefs. It is not for the State to tell you to bow allegiance to God. I agree. Where I disagree is that I don't see the state as telling anyone to do anything in this situation. Because the State does not want to derive its authority from the people. Such authority is always subject to rational examination, and is limited by secular concerns. But when the State derives its authority from the God under whom it sits and to whom it owes allegiance...then there are no limits, are there? I can see why you are upset about the pledge. I don't think that the pledge is an attempt to assert a divine right to rule by the federal government or any state or local governments, but if I did I would also be upset. Tim