Pledge of Alligiance - Unconstitutional?

[Berzerker]

Well, I'm late on this one, been over at Newsmax debating this one.

The Pledge is unconstitutional because:

Government cannot compel or coerce citizens to affirm a belief in God or anything else.

Public school children are coerced into taking the Pledge because of peer pressure - being singled out as non-conformists - and because the teacher is the one instructing the children to take the Pledge.

Little children just don't have the luxury of possibly crossing the teacher or making themselves targets from classmates. And compelling the children of parents who don't believe in God or monotheism to affirm a belief they don't share is immoral. If the Pledge would have children affirm a belief in NO god, how would religious folks feel?

[Sava]

Just drop the "under God".... geez... it's two little words that were added during the 50's.

[Fitz]

Beserker, I don't know that your statements are really valid as to the Pledge being unconstitutional, but they are certainly a reason the practice should be discontinued.

Check out my little tale on page 15 (near the top), and you'll see I'm in complete agreement with points 2 & 3 of your post.

[Berzerker]

Fitz, the 1st Amendment begins with the words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". The Pledge as currently written does respect an establishment of religion by coercing people to say it, to affirm a belief in God. It would be no different than requiring people to affirm a belief in Allah, Jupiter, or Jesus. And we all know which God the pledge refers to.

I object to the pledge more because it declares the USA to be "indivisible". Hell, the Founders and the Confederacy fought wars for the right to secede and I consider that indivisible part to be an insult to the Founders. Furthermore, the Republicrats are lying when they take the pledge, they don't believe in either liberty or justice for all...