Dear Editor:
Currently a number of politicians as well as citizens are at odds with a recent lower court ruling that the phrase “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. To be sure, to deny the existence of God or a Supreme Creator is folly. Thomas Aquinas proved the existence of God with his cause and effect argument, which eloquently and correctly argues that God is the prime cause.
I am definitely not an atheist, but that is not why I support the removal of “under God” from the Pledge. On one hand, a large majority of Americans believe in a Supreme Being, this group consisting of Jews, Christians and Muslims. In fact, Christians alone outnumber non-Christians in our country by at least 3 to 1, if not more. On the other hand, Hindu-Americans, Buddhist-Americans, Taoist-Americans, etc. have religious traditions that do not embrace monotheism. Furthermore, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity may appear to push the envelope on monotheism for Jews and Muslims.
For those of you who do not want the phrase “under God” removed from our Pledge of Allegiance, I ask you honestly to consider which God our nation is, or should be, under. Is it unreasonable for me to suspect that most Christians think the “under God” refers to their God only, most Jews think the “under God” phrase refers to their God only, and Muslims think the “under God” phrase refers to their God only, as well? Thank God there are no laws prohibiting the practice of religion (except those practices that would harm the practioners or others.) You and I are free to worship as we so choose, in this great country of ours. If, however, future legislation to make “under God” again part of our nation’s pledge was not overruled, as it must be by the courts, then it’s certain that the distinction between church and state would be unalterably blurred.
We must never become a theocracy. Christians, and I am one, should tolerate non-Christians’ God-given right (I refer to the Christian doctrine of free will) to worship in freedom. I do believe God has a sense of honor though and will have the last laugh. When the ‘true’ believers — read the Eric Hoffer book of the same title — of the afore-mentioned religions go to their eternal reward, perhaps God will appear to them in the form of a religious figure of a religion that they are most ‘uncomfortable’ with.
Patrick Cullen