Letters: Tidings of comfort and rage

Readers respond to an atheist's lament, the plight of shunned mourners, and the heretical thoughts of readers in the wake of 9/11.

Sep 16, 2002 | Read "Classroom Karaoke" by Susan McCarthy.

There is no telling how much our little family appreciates your article on the Pledge of Allegiance. It is very encouraging to know that amidst of all this pro-God hooplah that's going on in this country, there are still a number of people reasonable and courageous enough to respect other people's freedom to believe in whatever they may choose. Wanna see belligerent Christians galore? Go to Florida where everyone is God's child, whether one wants it or not!!!

-- Alex and Quita

I think everyone should compromise and adopt Robin Williams' suggestion for the pledge: "... one nation, under Canada, ..."

-- John Wilhelm

Thank you for, I believe, the only article about this subject that I've read which looks at it from an atheist child's viewpoint. Journalists constantly report this story as if it was merely a political wrangle of a rabid left-wing group against the majority, instead of considering the person's rights -- which are being violated -- and precedent in constitutional law. Like the author, I am an atheist, but I am a first-generation atheist and came to it only after a confirmation year at age 12 which saw me crying every Sunday at church.

Why did I cry? Because I was unwilling to be dishonest and unfaithful to myself and my beliefs, by pledging myself to God. But to not pledge myself to God, I knew, meant to be regarded with disapproval and disappointment by many in our society, to be a bad girl. What people fail to understand is that being an atheist is not some casual lack of belief. It is not about people who should know better than to be rude around people who have "real" beliefs. It is a belief in itself, and mine was much more hard-won than the Christianity that most people I know profess. I wanted to pledge my patriotism every day, in the public school that my country required me to attend, but my country forced me to choose between my country and my religious beliefs.

How would the majority of Americans like it, if every day they were forced to include in a pledge "under communism" or "under Allah"? Why was I forced, in a country that says there is separation of church and state, to betray my beliefs?

-- Catherine Dong

Thank you so much! I am so sick and tired of being told that atheists such as myself are just offended by the phrase "under god." Have they honestly never heard of the harassment we have to endure?

As a child, I got hit a couple of times by somewhat older kids for being an atheist. Sometimes the adults in charge were of the opinion that any intimidation was wrong and ended it there -- if only there were more school administrators like that. Others mumbled something about religious freedom and explained to me that regardless of the fact that they were hitting me and I hadn't lifted a finger, they really were better human beings than I ever could be, at least as an atheist. There's very little I can do to change beliefs, but everyone is entitled to not be harassed.

Ironically, if believers started viewing atheists as human beings who're just as variable in behavior as believers, we wouldn't be so eager to have the words "under God" removed.

-- Katherine Guild

It doesn't matter what faith you happen to be (and I see atheism as a faith like any other, much to the chagrin of my atheist friends), the addition of "under God" to the pledge went against the word and intent of our founding fathers. While this is not a godless country as many detractors claim, it is not a Christian nation as many of our own citizens seem to believe. Ours is a nation of many beliefs and that is something we should be proud of, not ashamed of.

--Wahrena Pfeister

Read "The Big Chill" by Aaron Hicklin.

I feel for the fiancés and lovers of the men and women who died at the WTC. I would like to add that gay and lesbian partners end up in this situation in EVERY death where there are no domestic partner benefits. The descriptions of families giving loved ones the cold shoulder reminds me of the deaths of many friends during the '80s and '90s due to AIDS. These issues are still arising, as can be seen by the lack of benefits for gay and lesbian partners of those who have died due to 9/11.

America seems to be a country that recognizes marriage, as defined as a union of one man and one woman, as the only legitimate state in which a family can live. It is time for Americans to recognize the shortsightedness of this for all situations.

-- Jeff Dauber

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