2008 Woodie Awards
Living out "under God" more important
Megan Burnett
Issue date: 4/1/04 Section: The Forum
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As I read articles this week about atheists who gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance as well as articles about federal appeals court rulings on this issue, all I could think was, do these people not have better things to do with their time?
Images flashed through my mind of people crying and bleeding, having just been subjected to a suicide bomber. The recent happenings in San Francisco came to mind and I could see imprinted there, from our beloved news media, the sickeningly sweet smiles of two men as they were pronounced married.
My brother also came to my mind. Jimmy, in boot camp, is preparing for a journey that could lead to Iraq, and could very well someday claim his life. Sometimes I feel as though we have enough "news" happening without people creating more of it.
I found it especially ironic that atheists were backing taking the words out of the pledge. I understand they and others have brought up other political issues connected with this, but if they truly do not believe God exists, why put up such a fight about this? Maybe it is pinching a nerve.
After mulling over this matter for several days, I realized that it is not really the Pledge of Allegiance that is the problem here. Like the removal of the Ten Commandments from public places, the Pledge is just one symptom of a greater problem. The problem being many Americans do not want to admit there has to be a God.
So, what should we, as Christians, do about it? Some feel that it is time to put on the war paint.
I feel, however, that is exactly what Satan wants us to do. He would just love it if we were to jump right in, biting and screaming. After all, if we win, what would we truly achieve?
Yes, the phrase "under God" would still be in our Pledge of Allegiance, but it would not make America any closer to being under God. I doubt the Columbine shooting would have been stopped if the Ten Commandments were plastered all over the school.
Satan loves to distract us, and that is exactly what he is doing. He is shifting our concern from the actual issues at hand.
If we are not living under God in the first place it is not going to matter if "under God" is taken from our pledge. If we do not follow the Ten Commandments and teach them to our children, it is not going to matter if they are posted all over public schools and court buildings.
We, as Christians, must understand that words without actions are useless. Ideas without testimony are futile. Yes, we should take a stand, but we should not be content merely to let it stop at words.
Images flashed through my mind of people crying and bleeding, having just been subjected to a suicide bomber. The recent happenings in San Francisco came to mind and I could see imprinted there, from our beloved news media, the sickeningly sweet smiles of two men as they were pronounced married.
My brother also came to my mind. Jimmy, in boot camp, is preparing for a journey that could lead to Iraq, and could very well someday claim his life. Sometimes I feel as though we have enough "news" happening without people creating more of it.
I found it especially ironic that atheists were backing taking the words out of the pledge. I understand they and others have brought up other political issues connected with this, but if they truly do not believe God exists, why put up such a fight about this? Maybe it is pinching a nerve.
After mulling over this matter for several days, I realized that it is not really the Pledge of Allegiance that is the problem here. Like the removal of the Ten Commandments from public places, the Pledge is just one symptom of a greater problem. The problem being many Americans do not want to admit there has to be a God.
So, what should we, as Christians, do about it? Some feel that it is time to put on the war paint.
I feel, however, that is exactly what Satan wants us to do. He would just love it if we were to jump right in, biting and screaming. After all, if we win, what would we truly achieve?
Yes, the phrase "under God" would still be in our Pledge of Allegiance, but it would not make America any closer to being under God. I doubt the Columbine shooting would have been stopped if the Ten Commandments were plastered all over the school.
Satan loves to distract us, and that is exactly what he is doing. He is shifting our concern from the actual issues at hand.
If we are not living under God in the first place it is not going to matter if "under God" is taken from our pledge. If we do not follow the Ten Commandments and teach them to our children, it is not going to matter if they are posted all over public schools and court buildings.
We, as Christians, must understand that words without actions are useless. Ideas without testimony are futile. Yes, we should take a stand, but we should not be content merely to let it stop at words.
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