That is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am a teacher, and about once a week go off on a tangent when they say the Pledge as if it reads "one nation, under God." It just makes no sense that way. Argh.

One nation, under God, indivisible, etc, it's a list. What's the big deal? It's a hell of an overloaded sentence but I think it's grammatically correct (in a sort of jammed-up borrowed-from-the-German way).

The point is that we should teach students to read the punctuation is there, and not just insert it because we feel like it. They won't learn to understand slight differences in context if we don't teach it to them.

Thankfully the man who added "under a groove" after "one nation" is still alive.

Doesn't the Pledge mention a dog somewhere as well?

TexasPete: The point is that we should teach students to read the punctuation is there, and not just insert it because we feel like it. They won't learn to understand slight differences in context if we don't teach it to them.

We should take that entire part out because it was added for stupid ideological reasons that are no longer appropriate.

Of course, I don't like the systematic pledging of allegiance anyway...but that's a different topic.

It's just the cadence of speaking something out loud. People fall into four or five syllable groupings, and there's an unspoken consensus about where you pause when saying the Pledge. When books and such were written to be read out loud, the punctuation system reflected things like poetic flow and pauses for breath much more than it does today, Deal with it.

God had unusual punctuation inserted to test our faith.

The PoA has no relevance when kids just mindlessly parrot it out, without knowing what they're saying.

That said, anybody who would insert the "under God" bullshiat into it should go to a very hot place after they die. That crap does NOT belong in the PoA.

Ah, the douche that gave millions of idiots the idea that you aren't patriotic if you aren't down with JC.

Ahh, the American "Our Father" (or is it more the American "Apostles' Creed?"). The bloody thing was instituted as a reaction to the Civil War in order to punish the secessionists (mind you, they deserved all the punishment they could get). Then, in the 50s, they added "under god" as a reaction to the godless Commies.

Frankly, the whole thing should be abolished. I don't see the point of pledging allegiance to the flag of the country. Pledge allegiance to the country. The symbols are just that: symbols.

I'm not crazy about the 'under God' business because I don't like this ultra-minimalist quasi-Christianity that's become American civil religion. Whatever God is meant in the 'under God' and the 'God bless America' and the 'in God we trust', it's a pretty insubstantial deity that doesn't have much to do but keep America in charge, or something..

I love how whiny everyone gets over the pledge.

50+ years later, and the theocons are still scared of teh godless Marxists.

I'd love to see a founding father slice and dice a bible on national television in 2009.

You mean it wasn't written by George Washington himself and was actually added during the McCarthy era as a bulwark against godless commies? How did the nation ever survive up to that point???

I thought it was written immediately following the births of McCain and Able.

/Couldn't resist

better throw' in a coupl'e of apostrophe's ju'st to be on the s'afe s'ide

I really think, aside from my atheism, that it sounds better without the comma or the "under God".

I love my country. I hate that patriotism has become tied with the God question. And this, to me, is a symptom of that.

When people said "one nation indivisible", that meant something. Nothing could tear us apart. Now, religion has literally torn the country in two, and half hates the other half. The fact that the phrase that split "one nation indivisible" happened to be religious in nature is a sad, ironic commentary on the reality that America faces.

The Pledge was written by a Nazi, for purposes which the Nazi thought noble. Fark it.

What an embarrassment that the pledge was changed like that.

YixilTesiphon: The Pledge was written by a Nazi

There were Nazis in 1892?

fariasrv: Ahh, the American "Our Father" (or is it more the American "Apostles' Creed?"). The bloody thing was instituted as a reaction to the Civil War in order to punish the secessionists (mind you, they deserved all the punishment they could get). Then, in the 50s, they added "under god" as a reaction to the godless Commies.

Frankly, the whole thing should be abolished. I don't see the point of pledging allegiance to the flag of the country. Pledge allegiance to the country. The symbols are just that:; symbols.

FTFY.

tag?

Suck it, Subby.

Ha.

i like the comma and i think it makes perfect sense.

Does this mean that we will see a bunch of people released of their spirit bonds with lightning exploding from their necks?

bearded clamorer

Aside from murderers and people of similar repugnant nature, I think anybody dying deserves the "sad" tag - whether or not their ideology disagrees with your own.

eraser8: YixilTesiphon: The Pledge was written by a Nazi

There were Nazis in 1892?

YixilTesiphon: The Pledge was written by a Nazi, for purposes which the Nazi thought noble. Fark it.

Actually, pledge was written by a commie. The words ooze socialism.

I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice f'rall.

/said in a weary monotone, the tone of the kind only attainable though years of mindless repetition of such a mantra

Jon Snow: 50+ years later, and the theocons are still scared of teh godless Marxists.

I'd love to see a founding father slice and dice a bible on national television in 2009.

They'd call him a unpatriotic left wing terrorist.
And they'd be right.

I freaking love this country!

/no one else was started like us, by people like ours

I'm a religious person and I support the separation of church and state.

/I approve this message

eraser8: YixilTesiphon: The Pledge was written by a Nazi

There were Nazis in 1892?

He was a nationalist socialist. Nazi probably isn't the right word.

YoggiSothoth: YixilTesiphon: The Pledge was written by a Nazi, for purposes which the Nazi thought noble. Fark it.

Actually, pledge was written by a commie. The words ooze socialism.

Nazis were socialists, just nationalist about it.

another great moment in internet history.

fariasrv: The bloody thing was instituted as a reaction to the Civil War in order to punish the secessionists (mind you, they deserved all the punishment they could get).

Yeah, just like those farkers who seceeded from England 200+ some years ago!

(No I am not a CSA sympathizer, I just find USians all up in arms about "OMFGSECESSION!" while having wet dreams over the nation's founding fathers to be amusingly hypocritical.)

The punctuation wouldn't be a problem if we removed the underGod part. The only ones to be upset are BiG Jesus.

Dispector: I'm a religious person and I support the separation of church and state.

Then you don't have convictions. There is no "separation of church and state." It is a false liberal scenario. Doesn't exist in the Constitution, and it doesn't matter what a retard SCOTUS interpreted. I can stack a deck on law; doesn't make the law right.

YixilTesiphon: Nazis were socialists, just nationalist about it.

Almost 100% agree. There truly are ideological differences, but for the most part, on a practical level, you are right.

And right now he's having to explain to God how he justified being such an arrogant ass as to put into an oath the claim God only cares about some people and places.

"he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 2004. "I came from Scotland, where we said 'God save our gracious queen,"God save our gracious king.' Here was the Pledge of Allegiance, and God wasn't in it at all."

We're better off without a king or queen in the pledge too, you dead kilt-wearing sheep farker.

YoggiSothoth: Then you don't have convictions. There is no "separation of church and state." It is a false liberal scenario. Doesn't exist in the Constitution, and it doesn't matter what a retard SCOTUS interpreted. I can stack a deck on law; doesn't make the law right.

Why do you hate America?

Wrong tag there churchy.

rathoth: I freaking love this country!

/no one else was started like us, by people like ours

You deserve a beer.



And yes, I agree.

...Captain Carrot? Is that you?

It's just fine the way it is.

ninjakirby: Why do you hate America?

I'm not all together and anyone's side because no one is all together on my side.
~some stupid tree

ninjakirby: Why do you hate America?

Better yet, why does he think church and state should be joined?

YoggiSothoth: Dispector: I'm a religious person and I support the separation of church and state.

Then you don't have convictions. There is no "separation of church and state." It is a false liberal scenario. Doesn't exist in the Constitution, and it doesn't matter what a retard SCOTUS interpreted. I can stack a deck on law; doesn't make the law right.

And remember that the line of argument used in the Declaration of Independence ("that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.") was used as an argument on the same legal footing as Divine Right (which was the belief that kings were placed there from God). It is not because they were religious folks.

Thomas Jefferson was a Deist while Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine (and yes I know they did not sign the Declaration of Independence) were both atheists. All three of them used that line of argument to push the Revolution while renouncing any religious beliefs after the fact.