The words "under God" should not be taken out of the Pledge.

Thank you for accepting, YaHey! We have had previous debates together and I'm sure this one will be just as memorable as the others. So: onward. Let the debating begin. It is a shared Burden of Proof. But technically this means there is no Burden of Proof, we just do the debate and attempt to refute the others' claims. BoP always follows your natural argument, and if not, the argument fails to meet the needs of your specified position. REBUTTALS "Actually this has little to do with one's own belief in a God. Even if I were a Christian, and I know some who would agree with me, I would not like having the words "Under God" in the pledge and on our money. Some people can realize that our own personal religious beliefs should not be applied to everyone." This is a huge misconception, and I see where you're coming from, but it obviously doesn't apply to you because you are not a Christian. Thus you saying "if I was a Christian" is a bit too bold. It is entirely a matter of if you believe God is our Creator or not. Why believe in a God who isn't our Creator and didn't/can't do anything for us? More-so, why have it on our money and Pledge if it has no real, deep meaning? Because of the complex-yet-simple creation story which Christians believe in, many people also believe we need to trust in God to hold everything together. As Christians we believe God is stronger, all powerful, and bigger than any and all of us little humans therefore we DO trust that God will keep this country under control (free). Somebody in the comments suggested that the 'God' that we talk about in the Pledge doesn't have to be the Christian one. All--or most--religions that America represents and that Americans practice or believe in, have a certain G(g)od, and obviously the Pledge doesn't specify the God it is talking about. I think you should take that in consideration and realize that, though Christianity is definitely the majority here in America (estimated 77% is identified as Christian), the Pledge doesn't only represent the Christian belief's God but instead Catholicism, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and the list goes on. [1] "Sorry to be that guy, but these were the elite of the elite and also valued the South's economy more than setting the slaves free. Yeah the Constitution was cool and all, but these guys are dead, alright?" So you're saying the Constitution is the past so we shouldn't respect it's morals, much less look up to the first few American presidents. That's a very anti-intellectual and convenient way of avoiding discussion. Besides, it doesn't have to do with this debate, as we are talking about the Pledge not the Constitution. "I concede more Americans are Christian than not, but the good thing about America is that that means almost nothing! From how Congress was designed so the little states would not be trampled by the bigger states, and the 14th amendment guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens, we kind of made the country so the opinions of the majority isn't the law of the land." Well obviously the majority isn't the objection and the minority often takes over in a way. Example: the fact that homosexuality is exposed and we are forced to believe publically that it is perfectly fine--even though less than 5% of America is gay/same-sex married. [2] For every quote you presented I could give three times as many of presidents saying they trust God and that Psalm 33:12 is correct. [3] But because this is slightly off topic, I will only give what George Washington said (being my favorite one): "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor." "Did you know there isn't a single mention of Jesus in the Constitution? That almost seems intentional." It is intentional, because as I said earlier, the word used in the Pledge--'God'--does not only represent Christianity. "An atheist, and any non-Christian should be very upset that God is on the money/pledge. You see, since our money is not based on the gold standard, the value in the money is pretty much trust. When I have $20, what I really have is trust that this $20 dollar bill will be worth that amount. So my money, which is backed by trust, is placed under something I don't even believe exists. Do you see where the problem is?" No, because there is no real problem. The words on the money does no harm and the $20 is still in the bank. You are getting off track again. Saying the exact words in the Pledge or leaving two words out is a choice for kids in school (or anyone). "Well, if by atheist you mean secular, then yeah it really is. God is not in our school system (despite the efforts of some) and we have an amendment guaranteeing the right to practice any religion. Though many politicians like to talk of bringing Good Ol' Jesus back, he really shouldn't have been there in the first place. God was only put into the pledge/money because we got scared of the Commies in the 50's." I don't mean secular. I mean that 70% of American citizens believe in a God. So you think communists scared the leaders of this early country and forced them to write about God? Explain. This should be interesting. "Americans don't even follow the commandments of Jesus that much." I never said America was a Christian country, only that it's definitely not an atheist country. Do you believe our president is Christian? I don't, though I do believe he believes in a G(g)od. Remember, this debate is about the Pledge and we should continue to at least mention that our nation is entrusted to God and we can refer to anyone who believes in God as a theist not a Christian. Yes, we are sinners. Nobody's perfect But this has nothing to do with how we believe in God. SOURCES [1] http://religions.pewforum.org... [2] http://gaylife.about.com... [3] http://www.usachristianministries.com...