Catholics and the Pledge of Allegiance?

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I went to Catholic school for fourteen years. In high school, I had about four hours of homework every night. Now, I needed a scholarship to be able to go to college, so I had to work harder than some. It was still insane. I still got a good education, though.

Now I’m in a private university working more and getting less.
 
dochawk said:
Well, there is that part that the Knights of Columbus fought successfully to add . . .

hawk
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Speaking of which, the proper recitation of the Pledge is “one Nation under God,”
Not "one Nation, under God, "

Adding the comma changes the meaning somewhat. There shouldn’t be a pause between one nation and under God when recited. Just a pet peeve of mine.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
 
redbetta said:
I went to Catholic school for fourteen years. In high school, I had about four hours of homework every night.
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When I was in an inner city public high school in the early 1970’s, I rarely had homework and spent most of my afternoons and evenings working in the kitchen of a greasy spoon. Most of the kids I went to school with were working.

I think it helped me out financially when I went to college as I basically paid as I went, even though I didn’t work during the school year in college.
 
I have so much schoolwork in college that I don’t know how anyone get work their way through school these days. This is why my parents emphasized being an academic superstar and didn’t allow me to have part time work as a teenager: school was my job. While I envied my peers who got that practical life experience, I did get that full ride scholarship I needed.
 
redbetta said:
didn’t allow me to have part time work as a teenager: school was my job.
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Did your parents buy you a car? I guess they bought you all of your clothes and that.

When I was a kid, those were major expenses, but ones my father didn’t have to concern himself with. I still have an hawaiian shirt in my closet I bought in 1973. I don’t know what its made of, but it hasn’t faded
 
My parents buy me whatever I need. I can’t drive, so no need for a car yet.

The thing with a lot of immigrant parents is to wait on their children hand and foot, never making them do chores, etc. so that they can devote more time to school. It’s just our family’s strategy for climbing the socio-economic ladder.
 
My dad always took care of things like that too. Growing up my job was to get grades. Car, insurance, gas, clothes etc. were all covered by parents, on the condition that maintained good grades. When my grades or behavior weren’t up to par those things were taken away.

Granted, my family owned a farm and a business I was expected to help work on as well, and I didn’t receive “pay” from those hours outside of receiving the benefits inherent of being part of the family.

I did get a part time job my senior year, but that was basically just money for me to spend on whatever.
 
blackforest said:
You are correct that I’m trying to avoid a political debate over whether or not to say the Pledge.

The tricky thing is that this will be a really small classroom, about 6-10 students, so they will be noticed. I will probably just take it up with their teachers. I’m probably overthinking this, and it won’t turn out to be a big deal if they just stand quietly.
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I would consider that the pledge is about 30 seconds, if that, out of the entire day. I wouldn’t rob my children from a public school education just because of the pledge.
 
Be really careful. Your kids will have a Target on their back, both for aim by teachers and other students alike. They will be the weird kids. I know it doesn’t sound nice or pretty, but it isn’t. It’s the world we live in. Life is hard enough for kids I would not make an issue of this.
 
QwertyGirl said:
Be really careful. Your kids will have a Target on their back, both for aim by teachers and other students alike. They will be the weird kids.
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That would really depend on the school. There were kids who didn’t stand for the pledge when I was in high school, it was a different era sure, but they really weren’t targeted I don’t think
 
Private education, in this case. I’ve already “robbed” them of public education since deciding to homeschool. 😉
 
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I’ve considered that. I’m left to wonder: Is the Pledge worth anything if it’s recited under coercion, either directly through force/requirement or indirectly through social pressure?

Somebody upthread mentioned schoolchildren saying both the Pledge and the Nicene Creed without understanding either.

I’m curious - Do the people who are flaming me in this thread get up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, as they expect of schoolchildren? It doesn’t necessarily invalidate their argument if they don’t, but I’m curious as to how many live out their principles consistently.

Do any of you express equal moral outrage toward people in Church sitting through the Gospel reading? Or, much more commonly, bolting out before the priest has finished saying, “The Mass has ende . . .?”

I don’t. Either they’re not able-bodied enough to stand, they’re non-Catholic visitors and don’t get it, or they have something to work out with God. If it’s the latter, what good does it do to get huffy and start guilting and shaming them? Would there be, to paraphrase Qwertygirl, targets on their backs?

At most, I would pray for them. Might that be a better, more Christ-like approach to take toward the non-pledgers, or the NFL players who take a knee?

Qwertygirl, I’m not targeting you specifically with these questions but musing on some of the reflections I’ve had on this thread.
 
You have certainly received a lot of feedback! With all due respect, it is really difficult to understand the issue without knowing why you object.

In answer to your original question, the only way for you to know the answer is to contact the school you are considering and ask them their policy. Nobody here can really help you with that.
 
Spyridon said:
I believe in America and what it stands for more than anything else in this world aside from my Faith and Family - my personal hierarchy of loyalty goes: God and Church, Family, Country.
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Greetings Spyridon,
1st let me say I did serve my country many yeays ago and I would do it again today.

Your statment above and the passion displayed in your posts make me think and wonder. Can you describe a situation where “God” would not only come before any of the other 3 loyality traits listed above but also come without the other 3 traits listed?

To me this is where we humans tend to skew all things we love and believe into one and tie it with faith in God to justify the other things. It it possible the OP can see a more clear difference in God and the other 3 loyalities and has put one above the others?

Thoughts?

Peace!!!
 
In Missouri, schools are required to include the pledge at least once a week. However, it is against the law to require individual students to say the pledge. I think this is pretty much the status quo in most states.
 
Allegra said:
it is against the law to require individual students to say the pledge. I think this is pretty much the status quo in most states.
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That’s the case in all states, at least in the public schools. A 1943 decision in West Virginia involving the Jehovah Witnesses resolved this. But a private school is a different issue
 
JanSobieskiIII said:
*saved. Public schools are plain awful lol
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Yeah, and we public schools teachers are the cause of all the nation’s problems. :roll_eyes:

Thank you for the public shaming. My Lent and work didn’t have enough penance.

Carry on.
 
Gertabelle, she said public schools, not public school teachers. You may not see this where you teach, but you’ll find plenty of teachers who can agree that systemically speaking, public education is a mess. Don’t jump to conclusions that it’s somehow about you instead of, say, Betsy DeVos, teach-to-the-test pressures, or school shootings.
 
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