Allegiance pledged to nation, not to God

Mel Lipman, Las Vegas

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008 | 2 a.m.

I applaud Devon Smith for putting his principles ahead of his popularity when he refused to stand during the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in his classroom. And I applaud his parents for supporting him.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that the Constitution and all treaties shall be “the supreme law of the land.” The Treaty of Tripoli, signed by president John Adams in 1797, states, “the government of the U.S.A. is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”

Congress’ unconstitutional action in 1954 to add “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance made the U.S. no longer “one nation indivisible.” If one does not believe in a monotheistic god, it is hypocritical to pledge allegiance to a “nation under God.” Refusal to engage in this pledge in no way diminishes allegiance to our country and its flag.

Devon Smith and others who refuse to engage in this pledge honor our nation’s traditional (at least until 1954) principles.

Although many of the founders of this nation believed in a monotheistic god, they were unquestionably clear in their intention to found a nation not based on their personal theistic beliefs or nonbeliefs.

The writer is president of the American Humanist Association, a national organization that supports the rights of nontheists.