Pure and utter bulls**t. Since when can schools cross the line of Church and State?

Texas joined Deep South. Is this an Improvement for Deep South, or a declination for Texas?

How does this cross the church/state line? It doesn't specifically point to any particular god, therefore this is not an endorsement by a state of a particular religion. People have taken the separation of church and state concept to mean that the state cannot have anything to do with God. This is absolutely not what was intended when the clause was written, rather it was meant to not allow the government the permission to favor one religion over another. Using the ambiguous word 'god' does not do this at all.

The Texas School system didn't have much to do with it. The Texas Legislature added it. I'm sure they were all duly elected and representative of the desires of the citizens of Texas.

The main thing that I have a problem with is the fact that it's mandatory. The only way to get out of it being to get a letter from home. Some kids that are atheists have parents that are not, and some of those parents wouldn't sign a note saying that they are excused from it. In my mind, this is not fair.

WAIT!

WAIT!

WAIT! STOP!

"State pledge of Allegiance?"

You can make the kid stand up but you can't make him recite it.

Also, this is church and state material since 'god' is not the nomenclature used in every religion. So the use of the word 'god' is excluding those who don't recognize any god or don't consider their deity to be a god.

Then by definition, this is not a religion, rather a lack of religion. Athiesm, for instance, is not a religion but a lack of religion, a non-religion or anti-religion.

Who said kids have rights? Until a child is either emancipated or turns the legal age, they are under the authority of their parents. If the parent makes the choice to force their child to recite a pledge that the child does not want to recite, the child is obligated to follow their parent's wishes and recite the pledge. The child does not have the right to make this choice, since they don't have the authority to decide for themselves.

Let the down voting and hating begin!

Ready, set, FLAME!

Believing in a deity but refusing to call it a god doesn't constitute a lack of religion. Atheism is a poor counter example.

But since Atheism was brought up, why should these children be excluded by the god word? Clearly it is something that defies their beliefs in regards to religion so how is it acceptable in this case either?

What it boils down to is this, because God is so great and awesome I can pay my respects to him any time at all. So why not do it after school? Is that so hard? Go to school and learn from books, from teachers, from classmates. When you come home I'll teach you about religion.

I'm with bandit on this. They have a state pledge?

This is mearly semantics. If you believe in a deity, then you believe in a god. That's what a deity is.

See the above post, kids don't have the authority to make this decision.

And the school board should make the decision for them? What about what the parents want? They can dictate the educational requirements for our kids not the religious ones.

Jealous?

From Dictionary.com:

re·li·gion [ri-lij-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
7. religions, Archaic. religious rites.
8. Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.

No mention of god in the definition that I see. Buddism doesn't have a god yet many people call it a religion. And many other people think all those buddists are going to hell.

we don't all play by the same rules. You shouldn't say someone doesn't have religion because they have different concepts of what a religion can be than you do.

The wedding night is too late to teach kids about sex, and 18 is way too late to teach kids the value of civil liberties. How deluded you are to think that rights are things granted only by others in power. No one ever made me recite the pledge when I was in elementary school (the 1960s), and no teacher ever dared to take the issue to either my parents or any school official. When a teacher once inquired as to why I never pledged, I made it know that I don't take oaths of allegiance to either graven images (the flag), or to the government. I believe in liberty, and it's not something given to me at someone else's discretion.

As a religeous person myself, I have to say that I am against this. Just as I do not want other peoples beliefs or lack of belief pressed upon me, I don't believe we should be pressing our stance on others (unless they start asking questions).

At the same time, they don't have to say it. There was a year or so in highschool that I was being all "f- America" and refused to say the pledge. Nothing happened. They can't force you to say it.

Bandit looked at the floor with both hands deep in his pockets. He spied a lone dust bunny and kicked it unenthusiastically with his toe.
After many minutes he uttered, "Maybe" and walked out of the room.

That's what I was about to say lol
I'm religious, and I think this is wrong. It's a sad day when Texas can make me say I'm happy to live in Florida.

Maybe ideally you are right, but legally, drumingspz is right. Kids (in school) don't have very many rights; the school legally takes on the role of parent, and with that comes a broad swath of limits they are allowed to place on a kid. And not every school could/would force a kid to say the pledge, but there are those that would -- and in the absence of a parent (and considering how hard it is to get things changed) they essentially can. They don't have to open the kids mouth and make them say it, but they can punish them if they do not.

Not that I necessarily feel either way about this: I believe in freedom of speech very strongly, but I understand why they are doing this...