| Can you still remember all of the words to the Pledge | | | | was added in the 1950s as homage to Abraham |
| of Allegiance? Most of us recited the pledge every | | | | Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The Washington Post's |
| single school day from Kindergarten all the way | | | | website has published an article that claims it is time to |
| through the sixth grade. Some junior high and high | | | | take the phrase back out of the pledge. |
| schools also required a daily flag salute and the | | | | When the phrase was added to the pledge, the |
| recitation. This being the case, can you remember all | | | | primary religion in the United States was one of the |
| of the words? Can you still rattle it off without thinking | | | | Protestant Sects and only five percent of the |
| like most of us could do by the middle of our | | | | population did not claim any single religion. Today the |
| kindergarten year? | | | | United States has a much larger variety of religions |
| "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of | | | | within its borders. Today, there are people who claim |
| America and to the Republic for which it stands, one | | | | Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, Muslim and Wicca |
| nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for | | | | (among a few others) as well as those who claim |
| all." Hey! I can do it! | | | | traditional Christian and Jewish sects as their religions. |
| It's funny how those two little worlds "under God" have | | | | The Washington post agues that "under god" and |
| caused such a ruckus. Many people insist that our | | | | religion be stricken from the pledge because the |
| country was founded on the idea of the freedom of | | | | greatest threat to the United States is not those who |
| religion. Others insist that forcing children to recite the | | | | are "godless" but those who are "fundamentalist" in |
| words "under god" is forcing a single religion down | | | | their religion-willing to harm or kill anyone who does not |
| school children's throats-a religion that might not be | | | | subscribe to their exact belief system. The Post |
| taught or encouraged at home. | | | | argues that our beliefs about religion are not what set |
| A few years ago a Congressperson caused quite a | | | | us apart from other nations, but that our tolerance of |
| stir when he recited the entire pledge-without the | | | | each religion is what makes us unique. |
| words "under God." Suddenly people were screaming | | | | What do you think about the topic? Do you think that |
| that he wasn't patriotic at all. | | | | the pledge should acknowledge religion and, if so, how |
| What do you think? Do you think that religion should | | | | should that acknowledgment of religion happen? Not |
| play a part in our politics, or should the two be kept | | | | everyone is of a monotheistic faith. How do you |
| completely separate? Would it surprise you to learn | | | | incorporate each religion without the pledge taking five |
| that the original pledge did not contain religion at all? It | | | | or six hours to recite? |