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Originally Posted by Armistead
Flags, symbols, religion, etc., have always been used to control people, sometimes for good, some times for bad, but it's a means of making people pledge to something more than themselves. IMO, the majority of this BS should be done away with, our only pledge to the constitution.
We follow a constitution and political figures still swear on bibles or we have to place our hands on bibles in courts and swear to tell the truth.
People that know our founding fathers know they basically hated any concept of religion in govt. Yes, they knew culturally they had to play the religion card or be ran out of office and many today try to use these statements as they founded our nation on religion, namely one. Heck, it still is done today by most politicians as they say "God bless America" or any other numerous statements while they plot their next crooked scheme.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/07...ans-will-hate/ |
Thanks, Armistead, for the link. I now have new ammo for any arguments with the Thumpers...
I think Paul Simon said it best for a lot of us growing up, attending US schools, and saying the Pledge every school day:
In my little town
I grew up believing
God keeps his eye on us all
And He used to lean upon me
As I pledged allegiance to the wall...
(My Little Town)
I think a lot of us pledged "allegiance to the wall" in the sense the act was a pro forma exercise which, after prolonged repetition, becomes devoid of any real meaning, simply one more morning routine to get over with before getting on with the real work of the day. I, personally, came to a very early conclusion regarding the words "under God" while still in grade school. I would simply stay silent during the time the phrase came along, and still do so. This did not sit well with one particular teacher in my last year of school, seeing as she was a nun and I was in a Catholic school. She made an issue of it, but backed off when I asked if it was not true there existed a Catholic doctrine against making oaths outside of the Church, so-called secular oaths...
Some years back I was called for jury duty and, since I had never served before and only had TV depictions as my guide, was wondering what would happen if, when taking the oath as a juror, I refused to say "So help me God". Fortunately, the procedures had changed and the phrase had been dropped. It does seem rather absurd to assume a person will be any more honest or truthful merely because they utter a few words about God. It's almost like the phrases are akin to Wonder Woman's Golden Lasso that compelled an evildoer to tell the truth...
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Heck, it still is done today by most politicians as they say "God bless America" or any other numerous statements while they plot their next crooked scheme.
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I agree with the observation. Think of how many sanctimonious politicians professing such high minded "Christian Values" have been found with their hands in the till, involved in highly questionable if not illegal activities, or caught with their pants down. If such activities are the result of God-fearing 'adherence' to the "Word", then, perhaps, government , and the people they govern are the better off without their input and/or inclusion...
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