One Nation Indivisible

Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, Winston-Salem Ashville, and Charlotte will have billboards like the one above up for about four weeks just in time for Independence Day. It's a simple message that's more secular than atheistic and speaks of going back to our roots when we didn't divide the country into the godless and the religious. Joseph Stewart of the NC Secular Association, without whom this would not have been possible, commented that "when the words "under God" were inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance between "one nation" and "indivisible," they cheapened the original message of a united people by inserting the notion that only those who worship God are included.

Pre McCarthy scare the pledge of allegiance, written by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy, proclaimed that we were an indivisible country with no references to god, despite his religious convictions. Our nation's motto? "E Pluribus Unum" or "One from many". the 1950's. however, were a time of great fear and ignorance. Everyone was afraid of those "atheist commies" and religiosity, nationalism, and distrust ruled everyone's thoughts. It was under this oppressive air that "In God we Trust" was added to our coins. The same fear and religiosity added "Under God" to our pledge. The problem, of course, is that the simple act of adding "under God" makes the indivisible divided.

This message does not stop the religious from being religious. It doesn't stop anyone from praying or take anything away from religious people. What it does do is help create equality. The "God" referred to in governmental prayers, on our money, and in our pledge was put there by Christian groups who campaigned for them. It's obvious that it refers to a single male God which is most notable among the three Abrahamic religions. This leaves out: Hindus, Buddhists, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans, Atheists, Humanists, Satanists, Taoists, and many other belief systems. We can hardly call this equal, nor can we hide behind the cowardly argument that "God" somehow includes us all- even those mentioned above.

The GAO's press release went out yesterday and some are beginning to notice the billboard, located on I-40 just before exit 222 going west bound. Christian forums all over the internet are buzzing with objection and feigned oppression. Some calling for vandalism, and some insinuating violence. We've been called un American more times than I can count.

Phillip Drum, the media liaison for the Greensboro Atheist Organization as well as the founder of the UNCG Atheists, Agnostics, and Skeptics recently received a phone call in which one woman angrily was told he was going to Hell and that he should leave America.

I'm sorry folks, but what we're doing is very American. Freedom of speech, land of the free, created equal.. is this not ringing a bell with anyone on the religious right? I may also remind them that there dozens if not hundreds of Christian billboards all across America far more offensive than simply the original words of the Pledge of Allegiance.

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