[GCFL-discuss]Under God

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

To the unsigned person who wrote: "We either believe in our nation under
God or not."

Only an atheist could believe that our nation is NOT under God,
and an atheist could NOT believe that our nation IS under God.

Now, what does it MEAN that our nation is "under God."

Some believe it means that our nation has a special commitment to God, as
a nation, and that God has a special place for us in his Plan.

Some believe it means that our nation's laws are, or should be, in
perfect conformity to the laws of God.

I believe that our nation is "under God" because EVERYTHING in Creation
is under its omipotent Creator, and that some of our better moments, when
"the angels of our better nature" were clearly at work, may well have
been pleasing to God. BUT, I believe it is uncalled for arrogance to
suggest that we, as a nation, are any more God's instrument than any
other people on earth, since our institutions are human, and therefore
falliable. Likewise, we should never mistake our man-made laws for the
laws of God, or presume to make them the same, because we humans who
elect legislators who make laws are all falliable. Also, some moral laws
are best not enforced by the criminal code, because that just makes
things worse.

God only made a covenant once with a Chosen People. While God never
rescinded that covenant, he expanded its benefits to "all nations"
through the same agency that taught "let he among you who is without sin
cast the first stone."

Please note that I did not object to honoring God, I suggested that a
pledge to a flag, the work of men's hands, is idolatry, albeit well
intentioned, and therefore it may dishonor God to place his name in such
a pledge. (I won't give a complete history of the Pledge of Allegiance,
but the verse existed for fifty years without any act of Congress to
define it, and for almost seventy years without the words "under God.") I
also mentioned that that is my belief, it is between me and God, and it
is binding on nobody else. 

Recently I attended an end of the year dinner for a Boys and Girls Club
where I volunteer. It began with the Pledge of Allegiance. Two people
present stood respectfully, without any salute, and without saying
anything, while everyone else recited the pledge. One who did not join in
was me, the other a girl whose mother takes her and her sisters every
Sunday to a church which teaches as part of its doctrine that the Pledge
is idolatry. My church does not teach that, but I too believe it.

Siarlys


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