Beliefs are held by individuals, not nations

Discussion
1

Derek,

"Under God" sounds like religion to me.

Best, Michael

2

Gee, now I'm wondering if I should ask my own Congressman Pete Stark if he
ever says the Pledge of Allegiance. And if so, if he includes the "under
G-d" reference.

Terry Floyd

3

Dear Michael,

I'd have to disagree with you there. One can be a Deist and not
religious at all. Deism reflects one's personal knowledge and acceptance
of the truth that G_d exists. Religion is based on the conclusions a
Deist arrives at given the understanding that G_d exists. They are not
the same.

Mike

4

Mike,

  Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism ) says that Deism is "a religious philosophy." If you disagree, would you find an expression of atheism on U.S. currency ("We trust in no gods") or in the Pledge of Allegiance ("one nation, self-contained and subservient to no higher authority") similarly non-religious?

Love & liberty,
      <<< starchild >>>

5

When Congress codifies phrases like "under God" or
"In God we trust", the members may honestly believe
the words are neutral. But often they do pass laws
that have no trace of religous neutrality. In 1991
the 102nd Congress passed HJ Res 104 which calls the
"Seven Noahide Laws" the "bedrock of society" without
which society "stands in serious peril of returning to
chaos". Noahide Law number one, is the rule against
idolotry: Thou shalt not have any other God before me.

We must remember that not everybody is even
monotheist; Moslem, Christian, Jew, or Sikh. Hindus
believe in many gods. In which god does our
government trust? Which god does it pledge to serve?
Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, or Rudra, god of
destruction? Animists see divine spirit in all life.
How can divine life in man or beast be "under" some
other divinity?

When I signed up for the draft in 1967, I claimed to
have "religious" objections -- I simply refuse to kill
people on orders. The draft board told me to fill out
a form on which the first question read, "Do you
believe in a Supreme Being, (check yes or no) ?"
Soon after, they sent my induction notice. The
Supreme Court declared that question unconstitutional.

Harland Harrison
LP of San Mateo County CA

--- Mike Denny <mike@...> writes�: