Weir thinking about it

With all the murder, kidnapping, rape and larceny occurring in this country every day; with all the corruption and greed being unearthed in our major corporations; with all the friction between the races and the genders, some malcontent comes along and sues to take the words, 'under God' out of the Pledge of Allegiance. Michael Newdow, the plaintiff and an avowed atheist, was absolutely grossed out at the thought of his daughter being subjected to those two words during her school day. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals felt similarly so they ruled in his favor. That resulted in a nationwide furor over the asinine decision, and Mr. Newdow's victory was destined to be short—lived.

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned his earlier victory, they have reinstated the message that our country was founded on religious principles. Unwittingly, Mr. Newdow may have done a big favor to the disciples of faith, while striking a severe blow against the non—believers. Few things can galvanize the American people like an assault upon their commitment to God. Furthermore, the little girl's mother, Sandra Banning, who never married Mr. Newdow, made it clear that neither she nor her daughter has any objection to including, 'under God' in the Pledge.  

For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would be against the teaching of decency, probity, and love of one's neighbor. Are the Ten Commandments a recipe for disaster in the mind of an atheist? What parent would want to keep their children from learning they shall not kill, or they shall not steal? Sure, these are lessons that can be taught at home with or without resorting to the Scriptures, but there is no assurance that every home will take part in the moral education of our young. Organized religion takes on that responsibility with a dedication and fervor seldom found in a classroom or a living room. Even if you didn't believe in divine guidance, would it be so inappropriate for your loved ones to be fed the nutritious fruit of wholesome and positive thinking? It seems more than a bit irrational on Mr. Newdow's part that he thinks his daughter would be harmed by a reference to God.

Every week, from sea to shining sea, thousands of religious instructors provide the nurturing nectar of faith and a commitment to a set of values. Without the constant repetition of those benevolent precepts the struggle for a civilized society would have been lost in the dark, murky waters of a vile and hedonistic culture.

You have a right to be an atheist and say you don't believe in the existence of a deity, but does that mean you don't believe in the virtues it represents? If Mr. Newdow's daughter were exposed to an organized set of values that represented a standard of decency to follow throughout her life, by what stretch of the imagination would that be inimical to her well—being? He may be able to do an excellent job of teaching his children right from wrong, but can he be certain that other parents are as effective with their young? And if they fail in their mission, aren't his children safer because there is an army of religious orators providing moral education to those his children may encounter?

There has never been a secular entity with the ability to construct a moral foundation for the masses. Consequently, how would 300 million people learn the difference between good and evil if it were not for the faith—based institutions that deliver the righteous message? A conscience is not developed in a vacuum. It must be built brick by brick with a set of guidelines, a focus on discipline and an orderly arrangement of character traits.

America was founded and developed by people with strong religious convictions. They believed it was important to the moral fabric of a burgeoning society to make references to God in their speeches, their writings and on their currency. The 1954 legislation that placed the recently disputed reference in our Pledge was an extension of that centuries—old tradition. Trying to eradicate that reference is like trying to erase our value system. Thank God there are enough good people in this great country to stand up and fight for the preservation of those values. Mr. Newdow will not be the last atheist to meddle with the glue that has kept us together as a people, but as long as we continue to defeat them we will always be one nation, under God.

Bob Weir is a columnist for The American Thinker. The author of 7 books, he is a retired NYPD sergeant, living in Flower Mound, Texas. BobWeir777@aol.com