Pledge of Allegiance

  • Thread starter Thread starter brian24
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

brian24

Guest
Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, I was wondering if it is ok to say the pledge of allegiance. I mean, when I see it laid out like that I think “Sure why not?” But when I start saying it, I just feel like if the country is headed down the wrong path, how can I pledge allegiance, especially to the flag and not just the US in general? I believe that the things said in the allegiance are good things to believe, but again it comes back to pledging to a flag. Thoughts?
 
brian24 said:
Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, I was wondering if it is ok to say the pledge of allegiance. I mean, when I see it laid out like that I think “Sure why not?” But when I start saying it, I just feel like if the country is headed down the wrong path, how can I pledge allegiance, especially to the flag and not just the US in general? I believe that the things said in the allegiance are good things to believe, but again it comes back to pledging to a flag. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I’m not sure exactly what is bothering you… are you afraid that this is too close to idolatry?? You are not worshiping anything. The flag is a symbol for the country, by pledging allegence to it, you are effectively pledging allegence to the country… I’m not sure where the problem is…:confused:
 
brian24 said:
Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, I was wondering if it is ok to say the pledge of allegiance. I mean, when I see it laid out like that I think “Sure why not?” But when I start saying it, I just feel like if the country is headed down the wrong path, how can I pledge allegiance, especially to the flag and not just the US in general? I believe that the things said in the allegiance are good things to believe, but again it comes back to pledging to a flag. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Pledging allegiance to a flag is like praying before a crucifix. These things represent a shared reality.

Secondly, allegiance only applies to what is moral. There are many immoral things happening in this country. We have no allegiance to immoral choices. But if we look at the country as whole, good people make up the majority of Americans. It’s a shame that the few rascals happen to run the country.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
 
It’s not up there with the creeds in terms of specifics is it? You can have allegiance to anything you think is a part of the republic for which the flag stands. Only thing is, you have to be religious to say it.
 
“And to the Republic, for which it stands. ONE nation, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, with LIBERTY, and JUSTICE for all”

That is what you are pledging.

You are not pledging to corruption, to party lines, to racism, greed, and politics.

You are pledging to uphold the Constitution ~ something that many of our politicians themselves seem to forget.

You are pledging to the Bill of Rights ~ something our own President wants to destroy yet he swore to uphold.

Do not follow blindly the wrongs of one man, but follow the courage of those who came before us, who had the strength to overcome persecution to want to uphold these rights for all of us who were to come after them.

That is what you are pledging. Stand tall, with hand over heart, and never be ashamed to pledge to your country.
 
It does my heart good to see others who are still proud to say the pledge and know that not everything or everyone in this country is bad.
 
I had occasion to say the pledge a few weeks ago, and like the OP, it did bother me.

I was mouthing the words and the thought of fifty million laughtered babies came to mind. At that point any pride I had in the USA drained away. My heart was not in the words and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I would happily pledge allegiance to any nation which is truly “under God” and which has “Justice for all” but the whole thing seemed to ring hollow. Maybe I’m looking at it the wrong way, but it did bother me to the point where I’m not sure how I feel about it.

-Tim-
 
ZoeyBdo said:
“And to the Republic, for which it stands. ONE nation, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, with LIBERTY, and JUSTICE for all”

That is what you are pledging.

You are not pledging to corruption, to party lines, to racism, greed, and politics.

You are pledging to uphold the Constitution ~ something that many of our politicians themselves seem to forget.

You are pledging to the Bill of Rights ~ something our own President wants to destroy yet he swore to uphold.

Do not follow blindly the wrongs of one man, but follow the courage of those who came before us, who had the strength to overcome persecution to want to uphold these rights for all of us who were to come after them.

That is what you are pledging. Stand tall, with hand over heart, and never be ashamed to pledge to your country.
Click to expand...
Very well said!!! I agree!!
 
TimothyH said:
I had occasion to say the pledge a few weeks ago, and like the OP, it did bother me.

I was mouthing the words and the thought of fifty million laughtered babies came to mind. At that point any pride I had in the USA drained away. My heart was not in the words and it left a bad taste in my mouth.

I would happily pledge allegiance to any nation which is truly “under God” and which has “Justice for all” but the whole thing seemed to ring hollow. Maybe I’m looking at it the wrong way, but it did bother me to the point where I’m not sure how I feel about it.

-Tim-
Click to expand...
The Knights of Columbus say, at the end, “liberty and justice for all, born and unborn.”

You could do that, either out loud or mentally.
 
JReducation said:
Pledging allegiance to a flag is like praying before a crucifix. These things represent a shared reality.

Secondly, allegiance only applies to what is moral. There are many immoral things happening in this country. We have no allegiance to immoral choices. But if we look at the country as whole, good people make up the majority of Americans. It’s a shame that the few rascals happen to run the country.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV 🙂
Click to expand...
There’s a problem for me, here, though, that the immoral choices are not really inseparable from the ideals to which we are pledging allegiance when we say the pledge. The same ideology which gave us “liberty and justice for all” has given us our abortion holocaust, gay “marriage,” federal government support for Catholic persecutions throughout the world, etc.

Personally, when I say the Pledge of Allegiance (which isn’t often – it just rarely ever comes up in adult life, it seems like), I do so with the mental reservation that I am literally only pledging allegiance to my nation, obedience to the government, etc. – all those things it has the right to command of me and which I have the duty to give it – and not necessarily endorsing its foundational ideals, which I regard as false and abhorrent.
 
brian24 said:
Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, I was wondering if it is ok to say the pledge of allegiance. I mean, when I see it laid out like that I think “Sure why not?” But when I start saying it, I just feel like if the country is headed down the wrong path, how can I pledge allegiance, especially to the flag and not just the US in general? I believe that the things said in the allegiance are good things to believe, but again it comes back to pledging to a flag. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I get the same gut feeling. I pledge my allegiance to God. Just saying…
 
brian24 said:
Hello everyone,

I was just wondering, I was wondering if it is ok to say the pledge of allegiance. I mean, when I see it laid out like that I think “Sure why not?” But when I start saying it, I just feel like if the country is headed down the wrong path, how can I pledge allegiance, especially to the flag and not just the US in general? I believe that the things said in the allegiance are good things to believe, but again it comes back to pledging to a flag. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Most parishes have national flags in the front of their churches. She fosters the virtues of civic responsibilities and of patriotism in her members. Patriotism is a love for one’s country God has placed one in, as well as the recognition that other countries’ citizens have an equal love for their own countries.

The flag is a national symbol, not a political or social one. We can love our country and publicly proclaim our love while not liking any immoral aspects of some of its policies, leaders or laws.
 
newyorkcatholic said:
The Knights of Columbus say, at the end, “liberty and justice for all, born and unborn.”

You could do that, either out loud or mentally.
Click to expand...
If you are saying that the Knights add those words when they say the pledge of allegiance, I have never heard that said any any council or assembly meetings I have attended, when we said the pledge.
 
Chatter163 said:
If you are saying that the Knights add those words when they say the pledge of allegiance, I have never heard that said any any council or assembly meetings I have attended, when we said the pledge.
Click to expand...
Maybe just the good councils do it.

Just kidding, but we do say that at my Council.
 
I never liked the pledge. It’s too sentimental for my tastes. It seems like a prayer to an abstract ideal or something. Who hears the pledge when we say it? Not the flag surely, not the country…who are we pledging to exactly?
 
Chatter163 said:
If you are saying that the Knights add those words when they say the pledge of allegiance, I have never heard that said any any council or assembly meetings I have attended, when we said the pledge.
Click to expand...
Maybe you should add it at your council 🙂

The problem I have with the pledge of allegiance is that I don’t really feel much allegiance to the USA. I feel like I have obligations of citizenship, and I am willing to fulfill those obligations, but my allegiance is to God and His Church, not to a country.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top