One nation, under God

How fair, is this painting to all the non Christians in America who make up this country based upon Freedom, and the right to pursue your happiness, regardless of Race, Creed, or Color?

I recently signed the petition online to remove "Under God" from the pledge of Allegiance. The only way to be fair and decent, is simply to remove the references to God, or any one group's God, from the Governing authorities.

So I signed the petition to return to the words this country had used since its founding by the founding Fathers. If it was good enough for them, those brave individuals who fought and died for this country to be created, who are we, far lesser beings to be cowardly enough to change that to our lesser understanding of all the great concerns they bore for us?

So, I said my peace by signing. And the Obama Administration retorted theirs.

Here is the response I received via email. I thought it was a good and considered response. We agree to disagree....

Religion in the Public Square   

By Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships


Thank you for signing the petition “Edit the Pledge of Allegiance to remove the phrase ‘Under God.’” We appreciate your participation in the We the People platform on WhiteHouse.gov.


The separation of church and state outlined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is an important founding principle of our nation. Our nation’s Bill of Rights guarantees not only that the government cannot establish an official religion, but also guarantees citizens’ rights to practice the religion of their choosing or no religion at all.


Throughout our history, people of all faiths – as well as secular Americans – have played an important role in public life. And a robust dialogue about the role of religion in public life is an important part of our public discourse.

While the President strongly supports every American’s right to religious freedom and the separation of church and state, that does not mean there’s no role for religion in the public square.


When he was a Senator from Illinois, President Obama gave a keynote address at the Call to Renewal conference where he spoke about the important role religion plays in politics and in public life.  

A sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation - context matters.

That’s why President Obama supports the use of the words “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance and “In God we Trust” on our currency. These phrases represent the important role religion plays in American public life, while we continue to recognize and protect the rights of secular Americans. As the President said in his inaugural address, “We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.” We’re proud of that heritage, and the strength it brings to our great country.


Related Links:

• Inaugural Address 

Check out this response on We the People.

The trouble is, the place for religion on the public square, is within each individual and not on a platform, or a general open agenda, and so there is therefore, no place for religion on the public square.

How is that a complicated thing to understand? Once you put religion out on the public square in politics and government, it is the beginning of the end, and the road to fascism. We have seen this time and again and we have seen it in modern times by ancient societies in the Middle East.

We are at a dangerous time, when these things are out and about and alive world wide, we cannot allow them to seep into our culture on a national, governmental level. This is something the conservatives, the Republicans, and those running for national office have failed to see. It leads to blindness, it leads to foolishness like the world was created 4,000 years ago. It leads to ignorance. And that isn't even getting into the Seriousness of it.

Religion should be a personal thing. Not something that is legislated. Not something to be in the government. Because it is too easy to live again through those McCarthy "communism" years, only on the side of God and Religion as the ruling bodies. Should we be afraid? I don't think there is any doubt about it.

Should religion be wiped out? No. Why? Because it will eventually die out on it's own. We just don't need it to go the route again of another repression, or inquistion, or bullying, or oppression.

We just need to live and let live, support our country for what it was founded for. Yes, you can have your own religion. No, you cannot push it on others.