It is to the rest of us also.

Don't forget the huge financial contribution from the Knights of Columbus, the catholic faternal order.

@glennlab What does that have to do with "Under God" being added to the pledge? Knights of Columbus? They have Italians down in Texas? Is that like a Spaghetti Western?

@barjoe The knights are the men's organization of the Roman catholic church, in the 1950s they were very active. They are in commemoratrion of the "Saint" that "discovered" America, they have nothing to do with Italians. They were the catholic answer to the fraternal orders that banned catholics. google it.

@glennlab Here in Philly, they're all Paisans. I'm not a fan either, they're all pro-life Catholic stuff. And Columbus was a murderer and a slave trader. I'm not a fan of religious organizations in general. I'm okay with St Jude's but that the only faith based I'd donate to unless a neighbor kid was selling some candy. Catholics were never discriminated up here in my lifetime but I'm sure those Bible belts hate them as much as they do the Jews.

@glennlab Nah, it was Eisenhower, to distinguish us from the "Godless" USSR.

Swearing to tell the truth with one's hand on a Big Book of Lies strikes me as absurd.

I haven't seen a bible used in court except on TV.

@anglophone that seldom happens anywhere anymore & you are free to ask for the Quaran,or any such book, or simply state to swear to "tell the truth", period.

@AnneWimsey Thank you for updating me.

At least in Minnesota you no longer have to swear on the bible or any other "holy" book.

Don't forget the child molestation scandal of the Catholic church!

Me too. If I was a millennial young kid, I would take a knee. Just to be a nonconformist.

It was inserted when i was in 4th (+/-?) grade...I remember the unhappy vibe of many of the teachers, (people back then took seriously Separation of church & state!)and having to learn a different cadence when reciting it.

Indeed! I've got a rather resonating voice, and once at a town hall meeting, as we were pledging allegiance, I omitted those words and it was loudly apparent. There must have been half a dozen or more men (specifically) who turned and gave me the evil eye. I just smiled as my wife did her best to become invisible.

@BestWithoutGod

Me, too. Singing hymns at the Unitarian Church, I skip the word, "God."

@LiterateHiker If there were a U.U. church nearby, I would attend regularly. I just don't want to drive 50 miles for it.

I refuse to stand for the pledge because of the god thing. Rude I know.

When was the last time you said the pledge??

@JeffMurray For me, it's been a few years. I was at some kind of event with family and friends. I don't recall exactly what it was. A niece's graduation, maybe.

@JeffMurray for me a few years after I became an atheists. So a long time ago.

@BestWithoutGods I literally cannot remember the last time I said it. I honestly think it was in grade school well over 25 years ago. By junior high, they made you stand but it was policy that you weren't required to put your hand in your heart or say anything. I just don't understand the point of that nationalistic bullshit.

I think I was in fourth grade when it was inserted, maybe '54.

If that were true I'd take a riding mower to it ! >:^>

@Dougy Where do I get one?

That lack of belief is thought of as a conspiracy is stupidity to a stupendous degree. Again, I invoke George Carlin, What are you? FXXXin stupid

Having just, yesterday, finished reading "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," I can tell you that the Native American tribes, hundreds of them had their gods, and spirits, many of them , but no such thing a A god.

@BirdMan1 What a good book. However the indigenous peoples of NA did have a concept of the Great Spirit or an all powerful force that governed the natural events of their world.

Oooohhhhh, I'm scared....you too, I see!

"Allah" means god in Arabic so......

@Mooolah And it's the same Abrahamic god, just with a new prophet, essentially.

I think you are wrong in the assumption that the pandemic will create more converts. In fact, I think it may well accelerate the move towards secularism.
This comes down to the alt-right Christian fundamentalists. Ordinary Americans will look at them refusing to wear masks, insisting on large non-social distancing church gatherings and generally being a pain in the ass when it comes to getting rid of this. Plus there is their full-on support of 45 which will not go down well when he is out of office and ALL the dirty dealings come out.
I do appreciate that not all Christians are evangelicals but they do makeup 26% of the US and are by far the most vocal. So it will be they who are judged when people look back on this not the science-based secularists

Sadly, what may be happening is that the pandemic, and the anxiety it is creating is fueling the QAnon fools.

You're talking about a nation of people who voted against their own interest in great enough numbers to elect Donald Trump. We will likely never again be a nation under freedom or thought.

@K9Kohle789 But, 60 some million did vote for the asshole!
I'm hoping along with mI58n2.

@K9Kohle789 @Birdman1 is right. 63 million people voted for that pile of shit. And even though some of them were for greedy reasons, it was still against their own interests if his presidency results in the destruction of our democracy (which it already has).

@JeffMurray he is destroying the ecosystem that keeps all mammals and other creatures alive. So this is a life and death election. A vote for donnie boy is a vote to accelerate your own death. Remember Trump digs coal. WE should make him eat coal dust .

@Healthydoc70 Absolutely. By no means was I suggesting that democracy was the only thing that he has irreparably harmed. He is the worst pile of shit that has ever held that office.

@JeffMurray I got you Jeff. I understood what you meant. We are of the same mind.

and a god that actually existed.