Looking for comments on an LTTE and my response

[T Roosevelt]

The following letter was in my college paper, and I'm putting together a response. Just looking for comments, and help on the final paragraph.


Future ignored history in God stance

Sadly, the liberal bias in the Future shows its ugly head again. In your editorial supporting the removal of the phrase "under God" from our sacred Pledge of Allegiance <"God in pledge may spell its doom," Oct. 16>, you completely ignored the historical framework and foundations of this great nation.

The entire social structure and laws of this country are built on a Christian foundation - whether you like it or not. We preach tolerance for other religious values and beliefs as part of the great beauty of America. The Future and other twisted individuals construe religious freedom to mean absence of religion from the public eye. It is foolish and ignorant for one to ignore the religious roots of our nation.

Yes, we should tolerate other people's religious beliefs and respect the rights of others to not say the Pledge of Allegiance if they choose not to. However, removing the phrase from the pledge is no different than omitting slavery stories or the Holocaust from history textbooks.

The U.S. Constitution does not dictate that there can be no religion in the public realm. It dictates that the state shall not establish an official church, and the U.S. Supreme Court has extended that doctrine to prohibit endorsing a specific religion.

To think that the phrase "under God" in our pledge represents endorsement of religion rather than an acknowledgement of history is simply foolish. You cannot ignore the historical context of American development, politically or religiously. Perhaps the Future staff should research the issue and learn more before they take such a flagrantly ignorant stance on an issue.


My draft response:

History ignored in Pledge stance

A recent letter, in regards to the Pledge of Allegiance, stated that the Future staff "should research the issue and learn more before they take such a flagrantly ignorant stance." Unfortunately the letter writer should have headed their own advice.

The original text of the Pledge, penned in October 1892 (over 100 years AFTER the forming of the United States) by Francis Bellamy, a socialist editor and clergyman, did NOT include the phrase "under God". These words were added in 1954 during the height of the Red Scare (perpetrated by Joseph McCarthey), as an affirmation that the United States was different from the godless Communists in Russia. This act was a shameless attempt to exploit religion for political reasons.

Furthermore, America was founded in part by people fleeing religious persecution in their own countries. Many of the leaders of the American revolution were in fact deists, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Thomas Paine, and George Washington. A deist believes that God is discovered through reason; their faith is not revealed by a God or artificially created by man.

Thomas Jefferson, in the Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom (1786), stated "Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in nowise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."

Finally, the entire social structure and laws of this country are built not on a Christian foundation, but on a purely secular one that can be found in the Magna Carta.

[DrGonzoLives]

1. Treaty of Tripoli

I believe, in the 1790's, expressly forbids this country from becoming a Christian nation.

[ewagner]

2. Excellent response

I hope this takes some wind out of the fundies sails......

the newspaper is The Future? That wouldn't happen to be at UCF would it?

[T Roosevelt]

8. Why yes it would...

Are you a student/alumni?

[Sal316]

3. Excellent response.

My personal favorite is that the Treaty of Tripoli (I think) signed by Adams specifically states that the US is NOT a Christian nation.

[ShimokitaJer]

4. Nice response

Just one typo in the first paragraph:

"headed" ---> "heeded"

Also, here's one of my favorite Jefferson quotes, in which he specifically rejects the equation of "God" with "Christianity."

Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting "Jesus Christ," so that it would read "A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;" the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.

-Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, in reference to the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom

[fob]

5. Home Run! I think you may have an extra "e" in McCarthy, but

look it up to make sure. I have seen many of these type letters and similar responses, the only thing I see missing is a wrap up that taking the "under god" phrase out is NOT an attack on religion. Those that hold this belief may only be missing a satisfactory explanation or a way out of the long-held opinion that the US is built on a christian foundation.

I don't have the perfect wrap up, but here's my angle: Ask them if they would be willing to add "under President Clinton, bush* or whomever comes along" to the bible.

Or adding the psalm(I think) that talks about preying to oneself and not aloud on the street corner or something.

Anyhoo, great job!

[HootieMcBoob]

6. Great response

Here's article 11 from the treat with Tripoli mentioned above:

ARTICLE 11.

As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

http://members.tripod.com/~candst/tripoli1.htm

[Guaranteed]

7. One more thing might be

to address that the Pledge itself, and saying it, is not for the purposes of "acknowledging history." It's a PLEDGE...of ALLEGIANCE. The phrase "under God" says that one is pledging allegiance to a nation that somehow owes itself to God. No one who wants to pledge their allegiance to the United States should have to also pledge allegiance to any kind of God, whether it's Christian or otherwise.

[T Roosevelt]

9. I like it

Mind if I steal it?

[JHB]

10. The red Scare wasn't just McCarthy...

...though he was formost among the opportunists pumping it up for personal gain, with Tricky Dick Nixon probably nabbing second place.