Do you remember reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning?
I remember. I also deeply regret it.
When I was a child, I wanted to participate in all the patriotic trappings of American tradition. I even wanted to recite it as a homeschooled student, since that was what my peers in public school did, too.
I now see it as sacrilegious nationalistic brainwashing and blatant idolatry. Training kids to unthinkingly recite a loyalty oath they do not understand is not noble or patriotic. Venerating a symbol with prayer is idolatry. I lean Quaker when it comes to such matters. Loyalty oaths and idolatry are revolting to me. If we are Christiaas, we are to have no king but Christ, right? If you are an atheist, why is the State your religion?
Let's take a closer look at the pledge itself. If you think I am being hyperbolic here, have you considered what is being recited?
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands..."
That's a loyalty oath. That is a very big deal, biblically speaking. And we teach kids to recite it by rote?
...One nation, under god, indivisible...
The nation was forged as a union of independent states, not a homogeneous whole. Each state has it's own internal regions with various tensions and disputes deeply divided politically. The unity in the pledge is either a fantasy or a goal for authoritarian imposition, and entirely blind to political reality and historical precedent alike.
Why should political unity be seen as virtuous? In our private lives, we know there are some with whom we can associate, and some with whom we cannot. If you have ever even been in a group project in school, you know coerced association rarely turns out well with even just a few people. But this pledge to association denies the reality of human society for the sale of someone else's political gain.
Meanwhile, the "under god" was added later as a Cold War political statement, and should stand as a harsh condemnation of a government that operates in violation of every commandment He makes.
...With liberty and justice for all.
This would be laughable if it were not so sad to see the country with the highest prison population on the planet, a byzantine legal code that essentially makes everyone an uncaught felon, a court system mired in corruption, a police system plagued by abusive behavior, and a legislature that continues to pass innumerable laws against non-crimes.
The Pledge of Allegiance is ignoble, abusive brainwashing designed intentionally to crush critical thought toward the actions of government agents. If you disagree with my assessment, feel free to comment below. But you might want to read up on Francis Bellamy's motivations and philosophy when penning the Pledge in the first place before you start telling me to "love it or leave."
Image credit: unknown. Source: Facebook. Memes are hard to attribute appropriately.
