Wednesday, August 22, 2007
New God-referencing Texas state pledge awaits Metroplex students
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When D-FW students return to class this year, they'll start their days off with two times the invocations to a Higher Power.
Texas House Bill 1034, which has revised the wording of the Texas State Flag pledge to include the phrase “one state under God,” took effect on June 15th.
Upon hearing the news, a shining Yahweh is reduced to tears of joy.
For those keeping score, this new addition + the already god-referencing U.S. Pledge of Allegiance (you know, "one nation under God") = two times the deity.
Under HB1034, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas State Flag now reads: “Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”
History lesson:
In 2003, the legislature passed a law requiring students in Texas public schools to recite the pledge to the U.S. flag, the Texas flag and to observe a one-minute period of silence for prayer, meditation or reflection each morning.
According to The Handbook of Texas Online, the original pledge was established in 1933 in a bill that provided rules for the proper display of the flag, as well as a pledge for the flag: “Honor the Texas Flag of 1836; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.” This pledge mistakenly referred to the national flag of 1836 rather than the Lone Star Flag. Although efforts were made to remove the incorrect wording in the 1950s, the legislature did not remove the words “of 1836” until 1965.
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Comments
Erin Rice Staff
One thing that I do enjoy in the Texas State Flag pledge is that wording "one and indivisible."
Anyone who attended elementary school in Texas and was put through the tortures of Texas history for not only 4th grade, but I believe 8th as well, knows about the "Joint Resolution for the Annexing of Texas to the United States" passed by the U.S. Congress in 1845. In this resolution, Texas was given the right to divide at any time into a total of 5 states. Into the 1930s, proposals to actually follow through and divide the state were heavily debated.
If Texas did split would we have to fight for which part gets to be "under God?" Hmmm.
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/o...
11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
John McClelland Verified
Why did it take 170 years for someone to decide God needed to be in there? Were the founding slave owners of Texas not God-like enough to think that important? Were they heathens in the eyes of 2007 Legislators?
Anyway, I am still partial to making students sing "My Country Tis Of Thee" like my Kindergarten teacher did in NJ. We threw down, yo!
11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
ch0 Anonymous
Everybody could use an extra scoop of Jebus. Make mine venti!
11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Bill Holston Verified
As a Christian, I personally find laws like this to be a real waste of time. I think the wisest thing that I ever heard about prayer in schools is that as long as there is Algebra, there will be prayer in schools. Anyone can pray anytime they wish. I've prayed in all sorts of public places with no interference. The issue is whether government is going to force religious observance on others. I vote no on that. Whether G-d is stamped on money, is of no moment.
11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
No place to raise children, nor get old or sick...
11 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
CastleHills Anonymous
I'll be glad when the Hispanics are such a large majority in this state, and they pass a law requiring all school children to pray to the Pope, and ask for his blessing.
Then all the Babtists will learn the true meaning of "separation of church and state."
10 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
SonyaBlade Anonymous
Yeah me too, but I thought illegals couldn't vote?
10 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
wonton4 Anonymous
What is really the point in them adding a new line to the pledge? I know for a fact that most of the kids in K-12 don't even pay attention to what they are saying. All the new line is doing is creating confusion and a lot of kids have stopped saying the pledge all together out of confusion.
10 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
questyouth Anonymous
Thanks for adding GOD to the pledge!!!!! It is about time we stand up against those who are trying to take GOD out of everything! I think we need prayer back in school too! Let's stop being bullied by those who do not believe in what our country was founded on, GOD!!!! One Nation Under God. Let's Continue to take this stand in all we do!
10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
If you want prayer in school.. there are plenty of private schools to choose from!
10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Holston - Thank you. From a non-believer to a christian, let me say, "Yes, I agree!" I've known many believers who would simply take a moment or so throughout the day to speak to their god. None of them felt the need to impose their wants on others.
Us non-believers just kinda sit there.
10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
questyouth?? Respectfully speaking, keep YOUR god, keep YOUR religion, and keep YOUR prayer- just keep it separate from everything else outside of YOUR life. Don't force other parent's children to be exposed to your s*#t/.
10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
inarchetype Anonymous
Finally,
Something I can agree w/ Yost on (albeit for totally different reasons).
As someone who takes my religious beliefs seriously, there is nothing scarier to me than having the government get involved with them and twist them to its own purposes.
Frankly, I don't believe school prayer in public schools has anything to do with religion. It has to do with nationalist indoctrination, and associating nationalist symbolism and allegiances with things to which students attribute absolute good.
I can't speak for other religious ('cause I'm not that familiar), but if any Christian doesn't see the idolatry in this I think they need to spend a lot more time with their scripture!
As for questyouth, he sounds like an unfortunate victim of the above.
10 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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