"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America
, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
https://www.quora.com/Does-the-First-Amendment-protect-atheistsClearly Freedom of Religion doesn't cover Freedom to Irreligion(sarcasm). Given that the word 'god' here has its first letter capitalised this would mean in 1954 the whole nation had monotheistic beliefs therefore stepping on polytheistic beliefs and every other belief that's not monotheistic, animism, misotheism, dystheism, Kathenotheism. Or possibly everyone in America had already reached and believed the idea that all gods are the same, all gods just point to this one god then the christians say they all point to OUR God. And even Jediism can make the same claim with The Force.
Luckily we have something recent that now protects non-theists only for the territories of America. This law should've been passed before this kid's life and many others were ruined.
A blessed day to the church of the flying spaghetti monster.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/atheists-legal-protection-us-religious-freedom-bill-signed-barack-obama-a7489641.htmlHow theists react when we tell them "I have rights too"
I thought Jesus told them to hide in their room to properly connect with him.
So with this new legislation there is no more ranting for the right of the non-theistic to express and not express ,to belief and to disbelief. Though I can open up the possibility that other people are still ignorant of this law despite that it's 2017. I guess there's only one thing left to ask.
Should there be a change to the Pledge of Allegiance?
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America
, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Maybe the Congress can add some more like pledging respect for feminists but here's a draft.
Hmm that gave me an idea...
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http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
So, applying simple logic here: if the Founding Fathers established in writing that God is above the Government by acknowledging that God given rights are unalienable...and our Founding Fathers formally acknowledged the "Supreme Judge of the World" then by that same logic our Nation truly IS "Under God".
"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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"A communist is like a crocodile" ~Winston Churchill
We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone.~Orson Welles
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Scientific method: noun; a method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.
The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about.
Wayne Dyer
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How silly to claim your delusion that God does not exist frees you from your duty to serve Him and justice for your failure to honor that duty.
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Do you recognize the existence of Human rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?
"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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(I'm not saying that I disagree with them as rights; I'm simply challenging your wording. [Semantics is awful.])
This seems like a red herring. His answer to your question is irrelevant to this discussion.
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Recognize: Acknowledge the existence, validity, or legality of.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/recognize
You can pick any of the multiple meanings of "Recognize" from that list, in this context however there is no such implication that these rights exist objectively. Since concepts exist within the mind, all concepts are subjective if we're going down the semantics trail however, again I didn't imply that they objectively exist. I merely asked if @Nope recognized the existence of these rights.
Secondly, his answer is not irrelevant to the original post he made concerning his reason for taking issue with reciting "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm not arguing with the OP on this one but my point that I intended on making had @Nope answered my question was to point out the illogical nature of taking issue with the verbal acknowledgement of God...all the while consenting to an entire ideology of Human rights being God given according to the Declaration of Independence. Of course no one is required to live in a society that maintains Human rights as being above and beyond Human control, I'm certain there are other places in the world where the rights of the people have been acknowledged as being bestowed by something as fallible and fickle as a Human being.
In the U.S., our fundamental Human Rights are established in the DOI, which is the supporting framework for the entire constitution. So in essence, living under U.S. law isn't merely likened to, it is EXACTLY subjecting yourself to Christian principles and an entire Nation established by our Founding Fathers upon the acknowledgement of God, the "Supreme Judge of the World" and "Divine Providence".
For the record, I'm perfectly fine with Atheists and their practices...or lack thereof. It just seems like somewhat of a contradiction of worldview to announce your refusal to acknowledge God for a violation of your Atheistic principles while consenting and formally acknowledging that the entire fundamental principle of our Freedom and sovereignty is God. If you were to subscribe to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness that is.
"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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Yeah, I suppose so. Sorry, I appeared to have been slightly confused by your meaning.
II. "Secondly, his answer is not irrelevant to the original post ... something as fallible and fickle as a Human being."
Why does accepting human rights immediatly mean the acceptance of the assertion that they were give to us by god? That's a non sequitur.
III. "In the U.S., our fundamental Human Rights are established in the DOI ... upon the acknowledgement of God, the "Supreme Judge of the World" and "Divine Providence". "
Human Rights are established by the constitution not the Declaration of Independence. Last time I checked, there are no references to god in the constitution. You're argument is very unstable.
IV. "For the record, I'm perfectly fine with Atheists and their practices...or lack thereof ... If you were to subscribe to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness that is."
(See II. and III.)
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Why does accepting human rights immediatly mean the acceptance of the assertion that they were give to us by god? That's a non sequitur.
II. If our Human Rights are established as valid in the Declaration of Independence and you acknowledge that, then you must also acknowledge that they are bestowed upon us by our Creator, subsequently acknowledging God.
Human Rights are established by the constitution not the Declaration of Independence. Last time I checked, there are no references to god in the constitution. You're argument is very unstable.
Our Human Rights are all based upon the principles within the Declaration of Independence as cited below. The Declaration of Independence set forth the ideas and principles behind a just and fair government. The Constitution outlines how that Government will function.
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office of Citizenship/Citizenship Resource Center Site/Publications/PDFs/M-654.pdf
“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.” — Alexander Hamilton, 1775
“The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, ‘till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all.” — George Washington, 1796
“The Declaration of Independence...[is the] declaratory charter of our rights, and of the rights of man.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1819
Additionally, the Declaration of Independence was created prior to any attempt at a Constitution and was described by the President of the Continental Congress - John Hancock as “the foundation of a future government.”
Furthermore, see below.
Cotting v. Godard, in 1901, the Supreme Court makes the case that the Constitution is but the “body and the letter” of the “thought and spirit” of the Declaration’s founding principles:
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/republic-found-the-relationship-between-the-declaration-and-constitutionI maintain that accepting Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness will subsequently acknowledge the "Creator", the "Supreme Judge of the World" and "Divine Providence". Now normally there could be a valid argument that the claim behind the Founding Fathers' assertion that these Rights are God given could be false. One might normally be able to argue that they just made that part up, but with zero evidence to support that and the #1 superpower on the entire Earth built upon that former ideology...there's not much of an argument there. Like it or not, if you acknowledge those principles then you by default acknowledge where they come from.
Keep in mind you can refuse to believe that X exists while condoning it all-the-while...it just doesn't appear to be very logical. "I don't believe in God or a higher power but I'll gladly live in a Country with a government built solidly upon the premise and principles that he does exist and also guarantees us Human Rights".
"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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I respect your right to believe or disbelieve whatever you want bubba. But to your point, it's not that Christians believe they're God given rights...the Declaration of independence (The fundamental principle of our entire Government and Nation) formally recognizes that these rights are God given.
So a similar example would be: Taking offense when someone says "Let us pray" while you're sitting in a Church". Our country is founded upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It's not a Christian idea, it literally IS built upon it and formally recognized in the Declaration of Independence. Refusal to say the words "Under God" won't change that.
"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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No, for we do not wish to encourage the mental illness of the pagan.
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In other words, this wants his way regardless of what the law is. Did I not pagans are mentally ill?
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"There's going to be a special place in Hell for people who spread lies through the veil of logical fallacies disguised as rational argument".
"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? Well I don't much appreciate your stup!d".
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Perhaps then we could change it back to the original Pledge of Allegiance then?
"We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag"! (George Balch).
Tell me, which branch of government wrote the penal code for failure to recite the Pledge of Allegiance? Which Law Enforcement Agency enforces the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance?
If you can answer those two questions then I'll agree with you that because the Government and Religion should be separate, then we should remove "Under God" from the pledge.
If both of the questions above are inaccurate though...then the separation of Church and State is irrelevant in deciding whether or not "Under God" belongs in the Pledge of Allegiance.
"To have it in the pledge of allegiance is combining to two things that should not be".
Please explain how the Pledge of Allegiance represents the Government.
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"A communist is like a crocodile" ~Winston Churchill
We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone.~Orson Welles
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The science supporting unalienable rights.
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