One nation under God: C-SPAN now.

[chimpymustgo]

Michael Newdow (father who filed suit and is arguing the case) and Kevin Hassen.

[chimpymustgo]

1. Scalia is recusing himself from the case.

He spoke up against the lower court ruling. Geez.

[NuttyFluffers]

2. "the atheist" is articulate

funny hearing him being called "the atheist" as if he's some sort of superhero/villain.

but yeah, saw the C-SPAN and he was quite articulate and well informed. and most of it seems to have been done on personal time, not part of a degree - most impressive. he was quite kind with a lot of the callers, especially the fire and brimstone speakers. more patience than i could've mustered.

the other guy, who was pretty kind himself, was desperately trying to get the issue off topic from corporeal issues of government and governance and onto some weird philosophical debate. it was cute, but "the atheist" wisely did not bite. it really isn't what the issue is about. it's about how does a secular constitutional democratic republic with a separation of church and state within its mandates chooses to deal with leftovers of bad judgment from a witch hunt period.

it's high time these last vestiges of McCarthyism are swept away.

if they really wanna say "under god" then they can whisper it under breath real fast as the rest of the pledge is said. nothing stopping that. besides, turns a pledge into its better sounding original.

and if they are so adamant that religious stuff must be mandated through our governmental procedures then we should pluralize and feminize "under god" and call it "under goddesses." if they really think *some* form of spiritual representation be present i think the fire 'n brimstone folk would dig this just as well, wouldn't they ;)

[Az]

3. Met the man

He is not going to go quietly away.

[NewHampster]

4. this is bad timing for another Wedge issue

The Pledge is another wedge issue thrown out by the Rovians.

They dream of an ad next October telling the American public, "the same people who support gay marriage and taking god out of your pledge of allegiance are now asking you to replace your God Fearing President with a Northeast Liberal Papist. Vote for *, Vote for God."

distract divide defeat

and IMHO that is the truth.

[qb]

5. Related: In God We Trust

Dan Brown's novel, "Angels & Demons" points out an interesting contradiction on the US dollar: The motto under the pyramid on the back translates to "New Secular Order", while the new motto above the "ONE" (added in the 1950's) says "In God We Trust"

[kodi]

6. it is from self consciousness, not gods that rights arise.

the issue that the pro "a nation under god" fellow states is that a creator is the basis of rights, and he is misdirecting the basis from what is the property of humans that demand freedom of consciousness.

it is a weird coupling of the "I am" principle found in human consciuousness with the "I am" principle of a personal (as opposed) to an impersonal Deism.

we grant as a priori that each of us has "inalienable" rights because we see in other humans the same trait of self consciousness, not that we are created the same.

anyone recall the star trek show where data was to be dismantled and was not on the basis of such sentience he possessed?