Not Under God

I strongly dissent from your piece about the Pledge of Allegiance. When I was sworn into the Navy as a young ensign in 1957, I pledged to defend the Constitution of the United States, not to honor or love a God. All Americans agree to love and support our country, but if anyone thinks we're all under the same god, he's crazy. Whatever values religion may promote in our public life, unity is not among them. Religion is a divider, not a uniter. Your suggestion that children hearing the pledge is "a valuable lesson into everything from majority rule to accepting others' beliefs" is as chilling as it is wrong. You would put the belief of the majority on a pedestal and marginalize those who don't have it. Our Constitution provides for majority rule but, unlike most countries, protects the rights of minorities. By the way, those who claim there are no atheists in foxholes have usually never been in one and most likely don't know many atheists.

JAMES F. MCCARTHY CDR/USN-Retired

Ocean City

Letter printed in Courier Post, October 14, 2005

http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/opinion/index.html