COLUMN: Let Americans omit pledge’s religious phrases
In 2007, a group of 50 students attending Boulder High School in Boulder, Colo., marched out of class when the school conducted the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and said their own version, omitting “under God.”
Seeing the pervasiveness of religion, and recognizing and respecting their right to practice or not practice as they see fit, the students took a stand.
“Boulder High has a highly diverse population, not all of whom believe in God, or one God,” Emma Martens, president of the Student Worker activist club, said.
At the time, Martens spoke for thousands of students who feel the same way across America. They are not alone. More and more often, adults and young adults are taking a secular viewpoint regarding the Pledge of Allegiance and other religious issues.
A group of conscious youth calling attention to a national issue deserves kudos in and of itself, particularly, when concerning such a sensitive issue. But responses viewable on chat forums, as well as letters to newspapers, generally expressed sentiments of shock and indignation. How dare the uppity American youth defile the building blocks upon which we collectively stand? The increasing acceptance of secularism in the Pledge of Allegiance is often perceived as a general lack of respect for the flag, the nation it represents and the armed forces who sacrifice to protect shared freedoms.
Although, I’m sure at times the omission of “under God” is carried out by snarky teens who like to cause a stir, but for the most part I believe these students are demonstrating their knowledge on the principle of separation of church and state. This idea, which seems to be sinking further into the dark pores of the religious rights sponge, is a deeper issue than a few simple words in the Pledge of Allegiance.
There seems to be a predominant notion that the U.S. is a Christian nation — founded by forefathers who worshipped the Judeo-Christian monotheistic god — and remains blessed because of the righteousness of its predominantly Christian inhabitants.
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the forefathers were deists who believed in a god who does not interfere with our daily lives. They practiced no particular religion; Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying that lighthouses are more helpful than churches. And regardless of their personal spirituality, they all believed that freedom of religion should be maintained at all costs, including the privilege to not worship a god.
A recent study that polled both Americans and Canadians indicated that when given a description of an untrustworthy person, atheists and rapists were rated about the same. I am convinced our forefathers would roll in the proverbial grave if they knew this. With more than 500 million atheists worldwide, this poses a significant prejudice toward a major group of people.
It could be argued that since this is a democratic nation made up mostly of religious peoples, the insertion of “under God” was a fair practice of religious freedom. After all, it wasn’t included in the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954 when Congress voted to include it.
Unfortunately, though, religious freedom has become a legal beast in and of itself. Religions have heavily capitalized on their protected statuses. While bringing in huge amounts of income — often spent on shady or politically motivated expenditures — denominations remain untaxed. Employers are obligated to make accommodations for any sincerely held religious belief, no matter how ridiculous it may be.
Those who question the wide legal berth granted to religion are often criticized as ignorant, close-minded and bigoted — making the brave Colorado teens’ decision to speak up even more important. In a time when pronouncing oneself as atheist is even more politically suicidal than coming out of the closet as gay, any opportunity to more clearly define the blurred line between church and state is a good opportunity.
Is the Pledge of Allegiance going to be changed anytime soon? Probably not, since we do live in a predominantly religious nation. But it is important to remember, above all, that the pledge is something we recite, not something we are governed by. We can show our loyalty to the nation by saying it, but it does not dictate our laws or morals.
When atheists choose to omit “under God” when they recite the Pledge of Allegiance, it doesn’t make them disloyal, untrustworthy or attention-hungry; it means they are exercising their right to religious freedom.
— Liz Emery is a senior majoring in English with a creative writing emphasis. Her column is published every other Wednesday. Comments on her column can be sent to liz.emery@yahoo.com