Removing 'God' From Pledge Makes Atheists More Equal than Others?

If the state fails to endorse Christianity, does that make it anti-Christian? If the state fails to endorse theism, does that mean it is endorsing atheism? Some conservative evangelicals sincerely believe this, which means that their ability to reason and think coherently is questionable.

Michael Ackley writes in Wing Nut Daily:

Well, to paraphrase George Orwell, if Newdow wins, he will be confirming that we’re all equal, but some – atheists in particular – are more equal than others.

The phrase “more equal than others” means “superior to.” Thus, according to Michael Ackley, a failure by the government to restore the Pledge of Allegiance to its original wording means that atheists would be made superior to theists. Let’s consider the logical implications of this position.

First, for most of the history of the Pledge of Allegiance, atheists were treated as superior to theists. It was only in the 1950s that this error was rectified as the phrase “under God” was added to the Pledge. How is it, though, that people lived through so many decades with a Pledge that made atheists superior and theists inferior?

Second, if the absence of “under God” makes atheists superior and theists inferior, then the presence of “under God” must do the opposite: it makes theists superior and atheists inferior. To paraphrase Michael Ackley paraphrasing George Orwell:

If Newdow loses, he will be confirming that we’re all equal, but some – theists in particular – are more equal than others.

This has to be what Michael Ackley is seeking: official state confirmation that theists like himself are superior to atheists like me. Why, though? What sort of personality would drive a person to need to be told by the government that believing in some sort of god makes them superior to people who don’t believe in any gods?

But of course all of this is complete nonsense. None of these implications are reasonable because the premise is too unreasonable: the removal of “under God” would not tell theists that they are inferior and atheists that they are superior. Only the addition of a new phrase, like “under no gods,” could fairly be seen as doing that.

 

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Secularism 101