Atheists Challenge Reciting the Pledge

[Rob Sullivan]

A New Jersey school district faces a lawsuit from atheist parents over requiring students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the "Under God" phrase included.  The district leaders responded that state law mandate the morning pledge.

[Kristina Kenney]

Personally, I think that this is just another situation that has been blown way out of proportion in order to get attention. No student is physically forced to speak the words of the pledge, including, "Under God", and are not reprimanded for choosing to opt out. They can stand of out respect for the American flag and what it represents/the struggle fought to keep it flying, but do not have to say a certain set of words that they may or may not believe just to appease a school, district, or state/federal law. In addition, the article says the district leaders responded that state law mandate the morning pledge, which it may, however that is referring to the fact that the state requires an appointed time to be set aside for the purpose of honoring the pledge/America. State law says nothing about the pledge being required to honor God and forcing atheists to do so along with everyone else. So I see two sides to this: One that no one should be forced to say or practice something that they don't believe. But secondly, it didn't say anyone was being forced to do so. In my opinion, it sounds to me like a group of parents are grabbing at anything to get attention, money, or overstate their point that they otherwise wouldn't or haven't cared about previously. It seems unreasonable that the AHA or the parents are using this small and otherwise quiet school district to attack and further their own agenda.