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Pledge of Allegiance

I have a 1 year old so this is not something I feel I need to worry about for awhile, but I'm just curious how those with older children have dealt with their child saying the Pledge. Do you find that it sparks a question about God? Do you find that they end up saying the pledge in full just to fit in? How do teachers/parents react if the child refuses to say the Pledge or omits the "God" section?

Tags: Allegiance, Pledge, of

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Permalink Reply by Annie Thomas on August 22, 2011 at 4:33pm

I remember when this story hit... that kid is awesome, and I'd love to see a follow-up on him now or in a few years.

Permalink Reply by New Atheist on September 20, 2011 at 2:50pm

This kid is great! Now THAT's what a real patriot looks like!

Permalink Reply by Beach Bum on August 22, 2011 at 1:29pm

My son just started kindergarten today. The teacher had told me that they start the day by saying the pledge and I just asked her if it would be OK for him to stand silently. She said of course. It probably depends a lot on the individual teacher. We just recently even mentioned god(s) to our son because we felt like he should know to be polite if someone mentions it rather than being like, "Who's Jesus??" Haha :)

Permalink Reply by Melody Mitchell on August 22, 2011 at 4:05pm

Our daughter was a "Who's Jesus?" kid.

Permalink Reply by Annie Thomas on August 22, 2011 at 7:45pm

Love this, Melody! My husband wears a beard and mustache, and when my daughter was young, he had long hair that he wore in a ponytail. Once, when my daughter was at her friend's house, her friend's grandmother showed her a picture of Jesus and asked my daughter if she knew who it was. My daughter responded happily, "I sure do! That's my dad!"

Permalink Reply by Melody Mitchell on August 23, 2011 at 9:41am

that's awesome!!

Permalink Reply by New Atheist on September 20, 2011 at 8:35pm

Lol! That's funny!

Permalink Reply by Bill on October 24, 2011 at 10:51am

Not long ago, my 7-year-old daughter asked me, "What's a bible?"

Permalink Reply by Annie Thomas on August 22, 2011 at 1:35pm

My 12 year old chooses to remain silent during the "under god" portion of the pledge (she says the rest). It has actually acted as a way for her to meet other atheists. Last year (her first year at a new school), a boy said to her. "You didn't say 'under god'." She responded, "I never do." He then asked, "Are you an atheist?" to which she said yes. He smiled and said, "Cool! So am I!" She has never been reprimanded by a teacher for omitting the god part, but I think she handles the issue in a very respectful and non-invasive way.

Permalink Reply by Annie Thomas on August 22, 2011 at 7:36pm

Good advice John D. Sometimes the biggest pressure is to fit in or simply fly under the radar. I have a very outspoken child who doesn't quite understand that not everyone is as OK with her atheism as she is.

I'm glad the teacher in your daughter's case didn't penalize her for being who she is. Of course, the teacher did the right thing, but I think it could have easily been much worse.

Permalink Reply by Phil on August 22, 2011 at 7:38pm

I've heard of families telling their child they could say "under guard" instead of "under god." If the child says it a bit discreetly they won't draw attention to themselves, but they'll still be saying something that fits very well in the context.

Permalink Reply by Christian J Brooks on August 22, 2011 at 10:36pm

That's a clever idea! We live in Chicago, so I suspect with so much religious diversity, that the schools would be accustom to secular rejection of the Pledge. Time will tell! Thanks for all the responses!