Is the Pledging of Allegiance to our flag, devotion or non? ( Idolatry is the worshipA of anyA cult image, A thought, or object, as opposed to the worship of aA monotheisticA God. ) Some people believe that because the words “ Under God ” are in the Pledge of Allegiance, it constitutes a pledge to person or thing other than God or those others must so believe that there is a God.
Arguments for Idolatry
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Would declaim the “ Pledge of Allegiance ” be idolizing because people use the word God in it? Making so would asseverate that the flag has besides become a cult image in the oculus of the perceiver in that so that when one say the “ Pledge ” , it is seen as an object or icon and be a signifier of idolizing. Pledging our commitment to the flag would so be plighting our commitment to something or person other than God.
Arguments against Idolatry
To be devotion, the pledge of commitment would hold to talk in church. The worship of God is considered sacred in nature and reserved for Church whereas plighting our commitment outside of Church is non considered worshipping. Our Pledge does non represent anyone individual as “ Worshipping our State ” as any kind of an Idol or God.
Atheists ( Peoples who do non believe in God. ) can “ Pledge ” their “ Allegiance ” to the United States of America every bit good as anyone one else as it does non intend they have accepted that there is a God. In the same comprehensiveness of that being said, our “ Pledge ” to our state is entirely a pledge to our state and non a pledge to GOD, and I believe that ( If spiritual. ) in “ God ‘s oculus ‘s ” we are grateful to be one-unified state.
History of the Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was written as an “ Curse of Loyalty ” , to the National Flag and the Republic of the United States of America, composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. The original Pledge changed several times over the old ages to promote nationalism to the United States of America.
1892
“ I pledge commitment to my flag and the democracy for which it stands: one state indivisible with autonomy and justness for all. ”
1892 – 1923
“ I pledge commitment to my flag and ( to ) A the democracy for which it stands: one state indivisible with autonomy and justness for all. ”
1923 – 1924
“ I pledge allegiance toA ( the ) A flagA ( of the United States ) A and to the democracy for which it stands: one state indivisible with autonomy and justness for all. ”
1924 – 1954
“ I pledge commitment to the flag of the United StatesA ( of America ) , A and to the democracy for which it stands ; one state indivisible with autonomy and justness for all. ”
1954 – Present
“ I pledge commitment to the flag of the United States of America, and to the democracy for which it stands, one nationA ( under God ) , A indivisible, with autonomy and justness for all.
***Note: Those things in BOLD ITALICS are what was changed or added. ***
I believe the words that comprise the pledge mean something. My strong belief is that Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge as a manner to unify citizens and remind us that we are fellow citizens, and non intend to advance blind trueness to our state. When we recite the commitment, it calls to mind, our national individuality and our history as a brotherhood alternatively of separate provinces, as one, together.
Expressionism
One manner for people to demo nationalism is through look like Fourth of July, in times of War, and other times. We express our love of our state, how we are grateful non merely for our freedoms, but how we are able to contend when needed so that others may someday make the same so that the following coevals can besides make the same. It becomes inspiration to others, “ We stand together ” , and we fly our United States Flag.
The beginnings of our state were chiefly based upon Christian beliefs, thought ‘s, freedom of faith ( whether for or against Christianity ) and moral ‘s, and while many would believe that it should go on to be that manner should understand that the United States of America comprises more than merely Christians. Christians comprise about 76 per centum of the population, other spiritual groups 1.2 % , and non-religious groups comprise 15 % . ( The Big Picture, U.S. Demographics 2008 )
There are many groups led by Christians who would truly believe America should be a Christian state ( Medina, 2009 ) and that because the deficiency there-of, have caused many of the jobs we ALL face as a state now, such as ; divorce, homosexual docket ‘s, abortion rights, race rights, etc, would be fixed today if we were one Christian State. You can see that this belief is cemented farther by the add-on of “ under God ” in 1954 to the Pledge of Allegiance. Those words added, to divide the United States from the “ irreverent Communists ” . ( Kidzworld, 2010 )
Expressing that you are loyal does non coerce a faith upon you or anyone else. It merely reflects one ‘s love for their state. It besides does non do one to take to believe in the being of God or non.
America is a free country.A That is what makes America so great.A Take that off from the Religious or Non-Religious, or anyone else that happens non to hold and it ceases to be true. As an American, I do non desire that, and as a Christian, I do non desire that.A
The “ West ” is alarmingly debilitative towards societal and cultural self-destruction merely by flinging its inherent aptitude for self-preservation and has diluted what our traditional values mean. Our politically right multicultural one-world dictators ( whoever they are, spiritual or non ) , say we are all fated to populate in a planetary community where favoritism is all excessively frequently, tabus, and state provinces stand in the manner. Therefore, an autocratic Utopia takes phase and favoritism hence be avoided at all costs.
It is no admiration that in the thick of the kinky temperament that our civilization has become a counter-culture. Meaning that we have lost sight/hold of what and how our state became to be. Apparently, ’empowered ‘ malcontents do non like this “ under God ” thing, and now more openly assail our traditions.
Comparisons
The Gadsden Flag is another issue that arises in the thick every bit good. There merely as many malcontents here besides, that would hold us take this flag down merely as they would hold us take God out of the Pledge.
I had learned about the Gadsden Flag while in the US Navy while in boot cantonment. Our Company even adopted the “ Do n’t Step on Me ” as our slogan. It is one of the first, if non the first, US Marine Corps slogan flags. In fact, the US Navy flew the Gadsden Flag in 1775 against British war vessels. It was besides a symbol to advance integrity among American settlers.
While some of you are seeking to calculate out why I have included the Gadsden Flag in this treatment, I have included it as a agency of comparing and for understanding that the United States has many traditions. These traditions besides have symbols or icons, which remind us of our heritage, of who we are as a state.
The first Navy Jack, which was straight related to the Gadsden Flag, has besides been in usage by the US Navy. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorists ‘ onslaughts on the World Trade Centers in New York, the US Navy flies the Gadsden Flag on all active naval ships. ( Gadsden Flag, )
Now this message seems more remote than of all time, with modern-day political insurrectionists, colonial history fans, province legislative assemblies and civil autonomies advocates all battling over the image ‘s contested symbolic significance. The same can be said about the add-on of “ under God ” in our Pledge of Allegiance. It seems that people are bent on the devastation of everything that our Forefathers fought for during the rebellion against the British Empire all those old ages ago.
Does toasting out National Flag constitute devotion as good? Note that the Gadsden Flag is non a National Flag as it is non. However, a symbol reflects merely a little part of our national heritage. You could even state some people idolized or idolize it. A inquiry some ask atheists: “ Should we all take this down, our Flag, our connexion to this State for fright of piquing you for what you believe? ” I do non believe so nor would I make so, non because I believe in God, but because I love my state.
I was brought up with a scientific head every bit good as cognizing who God is. I understand that certain people in this universe want absolute cogent evidence that God exists. I can non turn out or confute this. I along with 1000000s of others from all different spiritual backgrounds do so with holding Faith.
Another Comparison
Overseen by Religious Organizations that host/sponsor over 60 % of reconnoitering units, the Boy Scouts of America are portion of their young person relief. The BSA National Executive Board of The Boy Scouts of America is comprised of Latter-day Saints ( Mormon ) , Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, besides go on to declaim the Pledge of Allegiance and Fly the Gadsden Flag at each meeting.
Ironically, The Boy Scouts declaim the Pledge of Allegiance at the gap of every meeting. They besides fly the Gadsden Flag. The Scouts besides recite the Scout Oath, which in the 2nd poetry, provinces, “ To make my responsibility to God and my State ” . Should they take the Pledge? Should they take the Gadsden Flag? Should The Boy Scouts of America be disbanded? I do non believe so.
Decision
It is the belief of some that our state is falling apart because we have no integrity. Paradoxically, it seems that those same people that oppose the usage of God ‘s name are the same people rending our state apart, knowing or non. Paradoxically, it is merely a perceptual experience that our state is falling apart as it is besides a perceptual experience that we have become an unloving Godless people.
Are the US Flag, Gadsden Flag, and the Boy Scouts of America symbolic and in so being, Idolatry?
