Originally posted by JaTo:

Interpretation is different than rewriting and chipping away at an understood cornerstone of American philosophy and doctrine that has been a part of it since it's founding. There are a number of Christian principles that serve as a basis for the framework that the Constitution was formed under. Care to deny that?



Our constitution was written by and with the input of a large number of very religious and very pious individuals. These people grew up in an America that was largely settled by Christians for the purpose of Christian worship. (The Puritans came to New England, the Quakers to PA, etc.) These people knew that they were putting together possibly the most important document in the history of our nation and in all likelihood in the history of the modern world.
With this in mind please peruse a copy of your constitution and see how many references our very pious and religious founding fathers made to "God", "Jesus", or to "Christianity".

Was this just an oversight? Did they merely forget to add the references to God and Jesus?

The only reference to "religion" in the entire constitution is in the first amendment which obviously does not constitute an endorsement of Christianity or any other religion. Quite the opposite. (Utilizing Christian values, principles or even the protestant work ethic is different from endorsing the religion itself).

Originally posted by JaTo:

Since when does the pledge (which is NOT mandated that every schoolchild recite) and/or phrase "In God We Trust" represent a LAW that respects or SPECIFICALLY endorses Christianity?



The phrase "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by Federal statute in 1954. California law requires that schools conduct a patriotic exercise at the beginning of each school day and specifically states that The Pledge of Allegiance shall be acceptable. Public school systems and their teachers are regulated and funded by the various states in which they are located. That is why the actions of a public school teacher in leading the Pledge of Allegiance is considered to be a state action.

I don't think the problem with the phrase "Under God" is that it endorses Christianity - the problem is that it endorses religion - specifically a monotheistic religion. This leaves out people with many beliefs including atheists, many agnostics, followers of many native American religions, animists, followers of the ancient Greek, Roman, Celtic, Druidic or Viking religions etc and anyone who has not yet decided upon a religion.

Of course there is no legal penalty for not reciting the pledge, except that it is not fair to require kids as young as 4 years old to, on a daily basis, in front of their peers and role models, to publicly express their disbeleif in what almost everyone else in the classroom accepts as the ultimate truth.

Perhaps you have forgotten what it was like to be 4 years old or perhaps you were not an average 4 years old. The desire to conform in that age group is extremely extremely powerful. Kids that age don't like to be different and don't like to be singled out as being different. I can remember when I was in kindergarten, how kids would be taunted mercilessly if they didn't wear the right clothes, have the right haircut or even the right lunch box.

Please read the opinion of the Ninth Circuit and tell me exactly where you think they went wrong. I think their decision was courageous but that it was also a no-brainer.