More Pledge Nonsense
Shortly after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its refusal to re-hear the Pledge case, I wrote this. In the interim there has been a lot of talk on the blogosphere and in general about the issue. There is currently a movement afoot to introduce a Constitutional Amendment to ensure the phrase "under God" will not be stripped from the pledge here.

It is interesting to note that the group behind this is none other than the American Family Association, a far right Christian group whose mission statement says, "The American Family Association exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth." It's philosophical statement says, "The American Family Association believes that God has communicated absolute truth to man through the Bible, and that all men everywhere at all times are subject to the authority of God's Word. Therefore, a culture based on Biblical truth best serves the well-being of our country, in accordance with the vision of our founding fathers."

The AFA is a card carrying member of the Christian Brigades. This makes it obvious why they support the inclusion of "under God" in the Pledge. It is not because of ceremonial deism or some other innocuous rationale. These people genuinely believe that America is or should be a Christian country, complete with prayer in the classroom. In the past, this group has boycotted Disney for producing the Ellen show (because it "normalized homosexuality"), defended a judge in Alabama who displayed the Ten Commandments in his courtroom, led the charge against the National Endowment for the Arts, and the list goes on. The AFA is a group of intolerant right wing Christians who are seeking to force their religious values onto the country.