Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Berenger Sauniere · 06-30-2002, 09:15 AM

Under the leadership of Pope Pius XII (infamous Nazi supporter), a Catholic order known as The Knights of Columbus are actually responsible for first placing the phrase under God in the United States Pledge of Allegiance. This came about in April of 1951.

<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~cpoiani/knights/pledge.htm" target="_blank">http://home.earthlink.net/~cpoiani/knights/pledge.htm</a>

Shortly thereafter, a campaign was began to petition the U.S. government to make the KOC approved pledge the law of the land. The man who would get the ball rolling on this effort was a religious fanatic by the name of Louis C. Rebaut, a Democrat congressman of Michigan, who just happened to be Catholic! He would later get the phrase, "pray for peace" as a postal cancellation mark on US mail. A busy beaver he was.

So thanks to representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pledge of Allegiance became corrupted. I'm sure Pope Pius XII was proud of his little KOC cult.

[ June 30, 2002: Message edited by: Berenger Sauniere ]</p>

daemon · 06-30-2002, 09:30 AM

A few corrections: as a former KC, I must note that it is not a cult, but a Catholic American men's charity, social and political group within the RCC. The KC is generally a conservative but not fundamentalist group in its political leanings, with its current major targets being abortion and pornography. The KC is not lead by the Pope, but, rather, an independent council.

gallo · 06-30-2002, 09:34 AM

The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal organization, not a cult. Nor did Pius XII have anything to do with the Pledge or the addition of the words. I suspect that even if pressed, the Pope would not have been able to recite the Pledge.

Moreover, the Senate and the House of Representatives were also involved in the "corrupting" of the Pledge.

You seem a bit bitter about something. Why the venom?

Berenger Sauniere · 06-30-2002, 09:56 AM

The "God" that was placed in the pledge had a representative on Earth in 1951, and he was Pope Pius XII. The Pope is the leader of all Catholics. He did not have to be directly involved with the pledge, nor did I say that he was.

Does the Order have Degrees? Sounds cultish to me.

Anunnaki · 06-30-2002, 09:57 AM

I don`t know much about these guys except for their annoying "put Christ back in Christmas TV commercials",but it has been mentioned a few times in the news that the KOC was the main lobbying force hell bent on getting "under god" in the pledge.

I don`t know enough about them to say if it`s a cult or not,but they always seemed like a bunch of freaks regardless.
Just take a look at their <a href="http://www.kofc.org/index_eng.cfm" target="_blank">website</a>.

Autonemesis · 06-30-2002, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gallo:
You seem a bit bitter about something. Why the venom?

Anunnaki · 06-30-2002, 10:14 AM

Here it is from the official KOC website:

Quote:

In 1954, the Knights of Columbus led the effort to officially include the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, a crusade that resulted in federal legislation signed by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

<Homer Simpson> Mmmmmm.....KFC. <Homer Simpson>

[ June 30, 2002: Message edited by: Anunnaki ]</p>

Grumpy · 06-30-2002, 10:47 AM

And Pius XII wasn't a Nazi supporter, so much as a Nazi enabler, at worst, or a Nazi there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it-er. But calling him a Nazi supporter is a clear violation of Godwin's law -- and in the Original Post, to boot!

Berenger Sauniere · 06-30-2002, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Grumpy:
<strong>And Pius XII wasn't a Nazi supporter, so much as a Nazi enabler, at worst, or a Nazi there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it-er. But calling him a Nazi supporter is a clear violation of Godwin's law -- and in the Original Post, to boot!</strong>

Fair enough, I modded the OP.

Toto · 06-30-2002, 01:30 PM

Not so fast. If Pius XII wasn't exactly a Nazi supporter, he was the next best thing.

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670886939/internetinfidelsA" target="_blank">Hitler's Pope</a> by John Cornwell

Quote:

A noted commentator on Catholic issues, Cornwell began research for this book believing that "if his full story were told, Pius XII's pontificate would be exonerated." Instead, he emerged from the Vatican archives in a state of "moral shock," concluding that Pacelli displayed anti-Semitic tendencies early on and that his drive to promote papal absolutism inexorably led him to collaboration with fascist leaders.

06-30-2002, 09:15 AM	#1
Berenger Sauniere Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: et in Arcadia ego... Posts: 406	Roman Catholic cultus puts 'Under God' in US pledge Under the leadership of Pope Pius XII (infamous Nazi supporter), a Catholic order known as The Knights of Columbus are actually responsible for first placing the phrase under God in the United States Pledge of Allegiance. This came about in April of 1951. <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~cpoiani/knights/pledge.htm" target="_blank">http://home.earthlink.net/~cpoiani/knights/pledge.htm</a> Shortly thereafter, a campaign was began to petition the U.S. government to make the KOC approved pledge the law of the land. The man who would get the ball rolling on this effort was a religious fanatic by the name of Louis C. Rebaut, a Democrat congressman of Michigan, who just happened to be Catholic! He would later get the phrase, "pray for peace" as a postal cancellation mark on US mail. A busy beaver he was. So thanks to representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pledge of Allegiance became corrupted. I'm sure Pope Pius XII was proud of his little KOC cult. [ June 30, 2002: Message edited by: Berenger Sauniere ]</p>

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06-30-2002, 09:30 AM	#2
daemon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 737	A few corrections: as a former KC, I must note that it is not a cult, but a Catholic American men's charity, social and political group within the RCC. The KC is generally a conservative but not fundamentalist group in its political leanings, with its current major targets being abortion and pornography. The KC is not lead by the Pope, but, rather, an independent council.

06-30-2002, 09:34 AM	#3
gallo Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Houston, TX, US Posts: 244	The Knights of Columbus is a fraternal organization, not a cult. Nor did Pius XII have anything to do with the Pledge or the addition of the words. I suspect that even if pressed, the Pope would not have been able to recite the Pledge. Moreover, the Senate and the House of Representatives were also involved in the "corrupting" of the Pledge. You seem a bit bitter about something. Why the venom?

06-30-2002, 09:56 AM	#4
Berenger Sauniere Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: et in Arcadia ego... Posts: 406	The "God" that was placed in the pledge had a representative on Earth in 1951, and he was Pope Pius XII. The Pope is the leader of all Catholics. He did not have to be directly involved with the pledge, nor did I say that he was. Does the Order have Degrees? Sounds cultish to me.

06-30-2002, 09:57 AM	#5
Anunnaki Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: I`ve left and gone away Posts: 699	I don`t know much about these guys except for their annoying "put Christ back in Christmas TV commercials",but it has been mentioned a few times in the news that the KOC was the main lobbying force hell bent on getting "under god" in the pledge. I don`t know enough about them to say if it`s a cult or not,but they always seemed like a bunch of freaks regardless. Just take a look at their <a href="http://www.kofc.org/index_eng.cfm" target="_blank">website</a>.

06-30-2002, 10:47 AM	#8
Grumpy Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,535	And Pius XII wasn't a Nazi supporter, so much as a Nazi enabler, at worst, or a Nazi there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it-er. But calling him a Nazi supporter is a clear violation of Godwin's law -- and in the Original Post, to boot!

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