(Atheists) One nation under God?

I can understand your uncomfortable feelings about that statement.

It is unnecessary and actually forbidden to be coercive about these things.

But let us forget about the actual statement, and concentrate on the "one nation".

And I am not only talking about the US but the whole world.

What we can learn about the financial crisis raging in the US and about every country in the world, that humanity has become global.

We are interconnected and not only at financial or political levels, but at all levels of our existence.

So we have to go back to those statements stating that all people are equal, and add to it that all people are connected to each other and interdependent on each other.

Statements like the one you quoted put a wedge in between us, but that is the past, as in the future we cannot survive anymore with such attitude.

Only a human society based on mutual understanding and mutual care for the well being of the whole, raising the whole above the individual interest can survive in this global, integral system.

Competition has to give way to cooperation.

We are one family now.

I hope it helps, even if I did not directly answer your question.

All the best.

I don't feel that atheism is a religion.

George Bush made that statement quite awhile ago, and I haven't heard any negative or positive comment about it. It's been pretty much dismissed by most. Atheists are very definitely citizens who vote and who fight in our wars, and go about the general business of being good people. Because one person makes a comment, it doesn't make it true or even worth talking about.

What are the interests of the atheist? I really don't know the answer to that one, but I do feel that aside from this list, most people go about their business each day without drama. They don't discuss their religious approach or lack of it, and no one has to know or care where they stand. If "Under God" were to be taken out of the pledge, or when prayer is banned in schools, or when the Ten Commandments can't be displayed, I have no problem. I know where I stand. I know I can pray when and where I want to, and no one has to know. I know I can keep the Ten Commandments in mind since I know them by heart. No one can take that away from anyone, and no one can convince someone to believe something they choose not to believe. I am not at all disgusted by what any one person says, because he has a right to say it. I appreciate your thought-provoking question.

First: yes, I am rather offended by that statement, and the fact that I know there are still plenty of fundies in America who agree with it wholeheartedly.

However, other than hurting my feelings, it's really not that big of a deal. My citizenship has not been revoked as a result of Bush's idiotic statement; I can still vote, join the armed forces, and do anything else any other citizen can do.

Yes, there are laws on the books in several states that say that atheists can't hold public office, but I do not think they are upheld. If any of those laws were ever actually cited and used to prevent an atheist from running for office, I am confident that the Supreme Court would find them unconstitutional, and they would be taken off the books. Those laws are not the reason atheists don't get elected to high-profile offices, like President of the U.S.A. It's because the Christian majority won't vote for someone who is openly atheist. It sucks, but I guess that's just the way it goes for now.

As for atheism being a religion: No, technically, it's not, of course. But if the government wanted to legally classify it as such in order to guarantee us equal rights and protect us from discrimination, I would have no problem with that.

I also think "under god" should most definitely be taken *back* out of the pledge (it wasn't in there to begin with), and "in god we trust" taken off the money. I have no problem with Christians or anyone else practicing their religions in private, but U.S.A. is a secular country (it's supposed to be, anyway), and when the government uses the word "we," it should reflect ALL it's citizens... and some of us don't believe in god.

As I began to ponder more about this quote and this country, are there any laws that specifically protect the interests of atheists? Think about it. Is atheism considered a religion and if so, would it be protected against (for example) religious discrimination?

Atheism is not a religion, and would not be protected by laws that protect other types of religions. Atheism is the non belief in an actual God, deity, and so on. As it is not a religion, it would not be protected against any religious discrimination.

In a few states, there are laws that prevent atheists from doing things such as taking a position in office. There are many laws protect the interest of those who are religious, however the non believers or "atheists" really don't have a leg to stand on if it came down to it.

I have never seen that quote before. Thank you for posting it.

Atheism is NOT a religion. All atheists have a common disbelief in God. That's all it means to be an atheist, that you don't believe in God.

Personally, I don't think belief or lack of belief in God should cause someone to not be a citizen.

I actually have signed petitions to remove the word God from all public and government things. I support not forcing God on people.

Freedom of religion means freedom from religion as well. Atheists are protected no matter what any ideologue says. The founding fathers were not even Fundamentalist Christians, despite what many people want to believe. Thomas Jefferson even cut out the miracles from the Bible and called it the Jefferson Bible.

The phrase "under God" was actually added during the Cold War to differentiate the USA from the USSR, which was considered Godless (therefore evil in the eyes of the masses). It really has no meaning as far as law goes.

There are no laws that I know of that specifically protect atheists. They are protected under freedom of religion, even if technically it's not a religion. And it's true that in many states there are laws on the book that forbid us from holding a public office. One nation under god wasn't added until the 1950's when everybody went crazy over the "communist" threat.

Ronald Reagan used to say BS like this too, and now he's the patron saint of the religious right....I think it has a lot to do with the political group they are trying to appeal to - and it has no basis in reality (like much of what politicians say)...as far as being a "nation under God", I, as an atheist, really don't care as long as we don't define "god" any further than that vague nomenclature - "god" be anything from your deity of choice to the tree in your backyard as far as I'm concerned, and "god" can be the basis for your entire ethical value system or "god" can be the force that frees you from all the constraints society puts on you.

As on many issues, George was a bit ignorant. The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge in the 1950s and needs to be removed as it segregates nonbelievers from the rest of society as though they are second class citizens. We also need to remove the pledge from our schools that still insist on that bit of regimented thinking. There is nothing in the constitution about citizenship being based upon belief of any kind.

George is also implying, in effect, that all those people who said the pledge before the phrase "under God" was added were not citizens. Most reasonable people would disagree with him.

What George does demonstrate is how utterly bankrupt that sort of thinking is.

Well, everyone knows the Bush family for being tolerant of other people's beliefs. Does it really suprize you? The apple didnt fall far from that narrow minded tree. Technically the only thing you really have to do to be and american is to be born here, or buy your citizenship. So whats all this talk about they arent real americans, blah blah blah. What an asshole, but that just shows you how retarded this counrty used to be to elect someone like that into the presidency. Just another judgmental asshole.

Although atheism doesnt really qualify as a religion (we dont have churches, foundations or money pots stored up somewhere) I believe that that statement or any other similar statement made by someone in any government office would constitute as discrimination. Also there is supposed to be a separation of church and state, that means that the government is not supposed to endorse ANY religion at ALL! Think about that next time someone in a public office starts spouting off about god this and bible that and church and let us pray, fine!

And most of the founding fathers all the christan folks like to harp about having founded this country on christian principles were actually proclamed atheists. Really, really really. No kidding, look it up, its no secret. Why do you think they made that an article in the bill of rights? duh?!??!?!