Chrestomathy

Speaking of the Star Spangled Banner, here's where the melody came from:

<a href="http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacreon.html" target="_blank">Anacreon</a>



Dan

Shadow Wraith

LOL! It was based on a drinking song! I've gotta tell people this one.

Grumpy

This is similar to a thought I had earlier today when confronted with a different argument in separate sources. Twice today, I heard people say "God" doesn't mean "Jesus" or any particular god, but any god you choose. One broadened the definition to include money, the other said Ford trucks could be your god.

As I see it, if individuals are invited to interpret "God" or any of the other words in the Pledge any way they choose, it defeats the purpose of having everyone commit themselves to the same national ideals. A Pledge cannot unify a nation if every citizen has a different view of what it means.

Thus, I would extend your statement, nogods4me, to say that the one-and-only Pledge must have one-and-only meaning. Thus, "God" means God (or as Eisenhower put it, "the Almighty") and is unquestionably an endorsement of monotheism.

P.S. The "money = God" guy also fondly recalls saying the pledge in 1942 while saluting the flag with an outstretched hand. Even at the time this was decried as Nazi-like, and was soon abandoned and forgotten.

[ July 12, 2002: Message edited by: Grumpy ]</p>