Under God" is Unconstitutional and Divisive
by Mark Thomas
http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/Pledge.htm
Under God" is Unconstitutional and Divisive
by iMark Thomas
President, Atheists of Silicon Valley
July 16, 2002
In regards to the Pledge of Allegiance, I am very concerned with the
actions of our president, governor, and almost all of the national senators
and representatives. When they took office, they swore to uphold the
Constitution of our country. Despite this, they recently jumped on a
McCarthy-esque bandwagon and openly flouted the First Amendment to the
Constitution.
What part of the First Amendment is confusing? “Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion...”
Referring to “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, our national motto, or on
our money is respecting an establishment of religion. It also implies that
the 14% of Americans who don't believe in any god are lesser citizens.
This is similar to when white men once made blacks and women lesser
citizens, often using the Bible as an endorsement. It wasn't right then.
It isn't right now.
It's not just about being right or fair; it's also about being
constitutional. Our Constitution was designed to protect the rights of the
minorities from the tyranny of the majority. All Americans have a
constitutional right to freedom of religion. This includes freedom from
religion, because we can’t have true freedom unless we have the right to
choose “none of the above.” References to “God” by our government impose
the tyranny of a state religion, and are thus unconstitutional.
Our nation was founded as the first country that derived its power from a
purely secular, nonreligious basis. All nations before then had kings and
queens who used their supposed “god-given divine right” to rule. Instead
of this top-down power structure, our founders wisely created a government
which derived its powers from the consent of the governed. They also
realized the inherent divisiveness of religion, and kept it specifically
out of our Constitution and government. The Treaty of Tripoli, signed by
President John Adams and unanimously approved by the Senate in 1797, stated
“The Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the
Christian religion.”
As shown by the national uproar and debate, religion is still divisive.
The Pledge of Allegiance is supposed to help unite Americans. Having “God”
in it divides us. Let's return the Pledge to its previous form, so we can
all once again say “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice of
all.”
***************************************************************
You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members]
For people in Hampton Roads area of Virginia you are also invited to join
NORFOLK/VA. B. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE MEETUP GROUP
http://churchandstate.meetup.com/47/
Virginia Chapter Americans United for Separation of Church and State
http://au-va.org/
***************************************************************
.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
"Dedicated to combatting 'history by sound bite'."
Now including a re-publication of Tom Peters
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE HOME PAGE
and
Audio links to Supreme Court oral arguments and
Speech by civil rights/constitutional lawyer and others.
This site is a member of the following web rings:
Freethought Ring--&--Freethought, Religion & Beliefs Ring
The First Amendment Ring--&--The Church-State Ring
American History WebRing--&--The History Ring
Let Freedom Ring--&--Religious Freedom Ring
Law Issues Ring--&--Legal Research Ring
****************************************************************
.
|
