In PA, we still often get complaints from parents and children that the local school district is trying to force them to pledge. Now and again we have to go to court over it. We do not lose.

Why do local lawyers in odd places still attempt to support these religious fanatics in imposing their faith on others?

Its funny, I think they might actually believe that God is going to get personally involved.

The whole of the US political establishment, and virtually all outlets of the major news media, continue to operate under an overriding assumption that we are not only non-atheists, but that we automatically worship only the “one God” called Yahweh, the singular God of Judeochristiandom.

According to the literature that the “Yahweh” entity promulgates (The Holy Bible, first five chapters thereof) it appears that this Yahweh God is so insecure about the position “He” has occupied in civilization–compared to that of the other Gods that people have observed throughout history–that in the primary writ of all Yahwism, one will read an essential list of ten absolute behaviour requirements (the Ten Commandments) and the very first one is:

“You must follow ME first, before any other God”.
Thus Yahweh not only admits there ostensibly ARE other extant Gods, but insists in the tone of a crabby, surly bully that he – Yahweh – has to be the ONLY one society recognizes. If Y. was so great, would he need to make rules like that? Sounds really weak, to me.

Admittedly, some of the competition, like Baal for example, didn’t have much to recommend them, but the tree-goddess Ashtoreth wasn’t really so bad. And what about all the rest of them, the ones that got snuffed out in antiquity to make room for monopolistic Yahweh? I hold that if “God” is presumed actual, there are also untold squillions of other such entities out there. Maybe it’s time for some of the other Gods to play a role in our spiritual practices. This one seems to lead to a whole lot of nastiness and not much positivity to offset it. If you don’t believe me read the Bible for a while…

Since they only exist in the xenodimensional zones, to say much about the Gods in human terms is going to always sound really silly, and usually vastly incorrect anyway – so you might as well be atheists, when you get right down to it…

Unless you have found yourself aware, in some deep and profoundly personal way, of one or more of the other Gods that’s not widely known, and discovered that in addition to having a much better temperament and a more rational way of relating to worshipers than Yahweh, it/they also possess what Yahweh and Clone lack totally: a sense of humor.

I believe the Creation has actually never ended, and the End Days began at the same time Creation started, and will also always go on happening. They things never started and shall never stop. They are from a dimension outside of linear Time.

But between creation and destruction one can find quiet, profound moments/places – zones when/where the mind can stand with one’s God* and be amazed…and even perhaps at peace!

*Preferably one of the alternate ones rather than “the incumbent” “Mr. Y” — with that taste for the scent of burning animal flesh “He” has…as well as that sordid penchant for playing cruel games with “His” sentient creations – not to mention the habit of taking all the credit for making this whole schmeer in the first place, when it was so obviously a committee project.

Pac-Devil

Arizona Atheist – I agree that there are probably still teachers that do that and they should not. My general gritted teeth acceptance of the remaining existence of the pledge as an outdated tradition should not be confused with being okay with forcing kids to recite it in any shape or form. I agree that should not be the case. The only somewhat acceptible scenario I could see — and I freely admit that it could easily be abused — would be memorizing it in the spirit of memorizing the preamble during a government section of social studies. In other words, busy work!

I agree with Parrotlover77 to a degree about the pledge mostly just being a leftover tradition, however, I do recall when I was a child being forced to say the pledge and if I didn’t do it “right” I was scolded by my teacher. If it didn’t mean anything why the actions by my teacher? Of course that was a long time ago and I don’t know what schools are like today, but I’m sure there are still some teachers out there like that, and it’s wrong for them to force a child to “pledge alliegence” to anything.

I will say, to those that say ZOMG only dictatorships have an alleigance pledge! Technically true, sure. But today, nobody is actually swearing allegiance to anything (from an emotional GO USA point of view). It’s just a morning tradition that has no meaning. Every country has their historical quirks that run contrary to a true free democracy/republic. Christ, at least we don’t have a royal family! The pledge is annoying, but it doesn’t cost tax payer dollars for a bunch of pomp!

So don’t get me wrong, I want to see it GONE. But let’s not go overboard either. I don’t think any children are growing up brainwashed zombies due to the pledge. No, it takes a Bible and Sunday to do that.

But seriously – look what we’re dealing with: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/12/texas-education-board-app_n_497440.html

I’m planning to blog about that, but frankly I’m too pissed off right now.