If you really think it was intentional, which it could very well have been by the person editing that segment, but not necessarily with the direct approval by the network, then contact NBC and let them know if you have an objection. Now, that would be fruitful! That's how thing work in this country. If you don't like how a company does their business, you let them know. And, if enough people do so, and they see it will cost them some bucks, they change their ways.

At worst, it was somebody in the editing room that either A) screwed up or B) used his/her power to slip in a little jab at our Pledge.

No way does NBC purposely do this. The potential for negative fallout was too great.

Why? You gotta consider your demographic audience. Think about it. Your audience is white male 40 to 70 years of age. They probably prefer God in their pledge even though they are probably on the golf course drinking beer vs in church on Sunday. You don't fuck around with your targeted audience.

Editing mistake possible, but what in the hell are they doing broadcasting the Pledge in the 1st place. It's never been done in the past, so you don't experiment. So should some heads roll? Absolutely! Their objective is to make money, and not make some statement, if that was the intent.

-- Modified on 6/20/2011 9:33:05 AM

let him put it back in himself, after all what's the point of being omnipotent if you can't put the fix in every once in a while? lol

Quite frankly, I remember resenting having to make the pledge every morning, especially the part about "under God" since it wasn't a God I even believed existed. and people wonder why atheists and agnostics seem to have such an attitude about religion, it's been forced down our throat since childhood.

I don't find anything "respectful" about telling other people's children that they will spend eternity burning in a lake of hellfire if they don't believe a two thousand year old fairy tale adopted by people who thought a round sun revolved around a flat earth.

I am all for "live and let live" just leave me the fuck alone, and I will return the favor. Forcing your religion down the throats of other people's children hardly qualifies.

Or how about this idea, why don't a bunch of atheists/agnostics organize a campaign to knock of the door of religious people, invite themselves into your houses and proceed to berate you religious folk about how stupid your religion is. As bad as that sounds to you, how different is it than when church groups come knocking at my fucking door at all hours of the day wanting to "talk about God"?

Again, my point stands. Leave me the fuck alone and I will return the favor.

which was a time of paranoid religious hysteria
to combat the "Godless Communism" of the Soviet union.

The Soviet empire collapsed 20 years ago; time to take "under God" out of the pledge & for mr. n to get over his childhood traumas-------

Just curious for everyone's thoughts on this.  I know this is a politically and religiously diverse group, and would like to know what everyone thinks about this.  Was it intentional?  If so...why the apology?  If not, how do you miss any words in a pledge that only has 31?

Do you think this story is significant at all or completely irrelevant?  Thanks for the thoughts in advance.

speaking of food, why is it that you chomped down so much at an important religious event & were too cheap to pick up the tab from your host ?!------

-- Modified on 6/20/2011 1:52:52 PM

the most amusing was when I was busy banging my secretary and thes assholes kept ringing the doorbell, she insisted I answer the door because "it might be important", that fucking asshole almost got to "come home to Jesus" right on the fucking spot. lol

I see by your response to my idea about atheists pulling the same crap that you wouldn't exactly welcome the idea, can you spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E ???

So it's find when your religious bretheren knock on my door, but you'd send the atheists packing if the scenario was reversed. Yep, you sound like a "good christian" to me.

all unraveled. Hardly the portait of an unflappable gambler. Seriously, in the past 10 years how many of these religious crazed nutcases have showed up at your door forcing religion down your throat? 2-3? Or are you talking about Virden Illinios putting a nativity scene in the public square, as they have for the past 110 years? Does that cause you to blow your cork? lol!

I think this deliberate editing was done by what I call a pantshitting atheist, so crazed by the mere mention of God he thinks he's saving the world from a worldwide theocracy. He's the guy who acts like a vampire reacting to dayl;ight when he sees a cross from the freeway.

Frankly, Id find it fun to have some canvassing atheist show up at my door, I'd shut the door in their faces just as quickly as I do the LDS 10 speed squad.

Whisper them under your breath, and let the rational people who don't believe in invisible, omnipotent beings, in peace.

After all, as long as God knows you care about him, who gives a shit about us fucking heathens. Why can't you just quietly gloat that all of us nonbelievers will spend eternity burning in hellfire and just STFU for the short time we have to enjoy this world?

out of your mouth and stick em in your ears when the pledge is said

you'll lose some weight and you wont have your psyche shattered

out of your mouth and stick em in your ears when the pledge is said

you'll lose some weight and you wont have your psyche shattered

I actually remember when that happened.  I was a kid then, and we'd always recited the Pledge at the beginning of the school day.  No big deal.  Then one day we were told to add the "under God" part.  Being a Jewish kid (not religious but I knew I was different in that way) in a largely Christian area, my thought was, "it's not my God they're talking about."  It made me uncomfortable.  Did I get over it?  Sure.  But before you criticize people for being over-sensitive, just think about how it fells when the shoe is on the other foot.
At this point, while I'd like  to see the words removed,  I don't really care that much.  In fact, I wouldn't care if the Pledge went away completely.  Does reciting it make  you a loyal American?  I doubt it.  The guy who tried to blow up Times Square last year was a naturalized American.  When asked by the judge what the  pledge he took upon obtaining citizenship meant to him he said, "Nothing.  I lied.  I hate America."
Me, I love America.  I just don't think I should have to prove it by reciting a pledge.

the same God? When did that change? When you were a kid?

Oh yeah, the Times Square almost-a-bomber should have his citizenship revoked if he lied about his oath. Fuck him, Jihadist fucking asshole.

If you're gonna remove the words from the Pledge, get it off the currency, bills and coins. Remove it from all public buildings, including the SCOTUS courtroom. All 50 states' Constitutions will have to be rewritten to remove their references to "God". Don't be a fucking pussy, get started on your quest. What's holding you back?

Otherwise, I thought your suggestions were great & I'll get on it right away--------

You don't know me very well, do you. Last time I was in a church was 1965. Went to confession then, and haven't been back since.

I can just imagine the look of horror on the priest's face if I ever went to confession. It might just be worth it. lmao

inicky "Not really, PW.  You are defending him against those who call him a biggot.  If Jew-baiting (or baiting anybody for religious or racial reasons) isn't biggotry, then what is it?  Methinks you doth protest too much."

inicky "Believe me, I am well aware that bigoted idiots like the OP cannot be reasoned with.  So my responses are really for the other posters on the thread.  If obvioius mis-statements are left to stand, others may think they are valid."

inicky "My favorite moment came years ago when I was approached on the street by a Bible-thumper.  I gave him a lecture about how more people had been tortured,  murdered and robbed in the name of god over the centuries than for any other reason.  He burst into tears."

 If my favorite moment came when I made someone burst into tears, I would kill myself. Sounds like your life is neck deep in despair.
For someone who  throws  the bigot word with frequency you sure act like one.

Obviously you haven't read enough history to realize as many or more people have been tortured,  murdered and robbed from Godless rulers than God fearing.

I am not defending mans religion but merely exposing a bigot that does not recognize himself.
I couldn't care less what the Sanhedrin or the Pope thinks, I feel no desires to bring them to tears.
It is some men who are wicked, not the fact he believes in God or not.
Lesson Over

and it's ironic that this country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution who immediately started persecuting others the moment the shoe was on the other foot.

Yes the pressure on an 8 year old can be immense, arguements like "well your parents lied to you about Santa Claus, didn't they?" were more apt to spark a fist fight than knock any sense into a nine year old that insisted that Jesus died for you, an 8 year old fucking kid, just because his idiot parents raised him that way.

Then of course, once you become an adult nothing seems to get any better, except no bullying Christians are going to make me keep my fucking mouth shut as a grown man. The stupid people are still stupid however.

Sick of all fucking religions, its advocates. This is 21st Century, it is to pull your heads out of the collective religious asses.

When, the religious pukes knock on my door, I tell them I don't believe in religion or God. One women told me "you are going to hell". I replied "See you there".

I was approached on the street by a Bible-thumper.  I gave him a lecture about how more people had been tortured,  murdered and robbed in the name of god over the centuries than for any other reason.  He burst into tears.

Of course they worship the same god, but to an 8-year-old there was still a distinction.  I guess you have to be in a minority of some kind to appreciate how it feels.  It made me feel like an outsider.

Apparently not. Oh & btw, this charade of yours
of NOT being a very religious hobbyist is a joke.

And you MUST do something about your delusions of grandeur, along with your shame about concealing your strong religious beliefs.

Anti-psychotic meds, perhaps ?

of your teachers to expalin to you the importance of those words.

Our very founding of this nation, the nation in which YOU enjoy so much freedom was founded upon "natural rights":

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language"[2] and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".[3]

This simply means, young little Gambler, and Platipus, that the right of LIfe, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, and the rights extended from that, flow from natural law, NOT man made law. Therefore these rights MAY NOT be revoked by man, or governmant because they are not the source of these laws.

You may not like it but heres the good news, you get to enjoy the blessings of the freedom flowing from that even if you dont believe.

So, go enjoy your buffet and your vast wealth. Thank God for the USA.

I just dont shit my pants about either. I know they are not there to try to destroy me. they are just misguided.

If anyone becomes obnoxious I treat them as i would any obnoxious person. Like the obnoxious atheist morons who want to wiipe the public discourse clean of any religious expression by EDITTING OUT expresssions because their pissy little egos are offended. The selfcentered bitches cant stand seeing or hearing anything that does not agree with them.

I think people need to respect your privacy and right to believe what you want without condemnation. I also think the pissy atheist bitches need to grow up and learn some tolerance.

And, gosh, for someone "neck deep in despair" I feel like a pretty happy guy.  I get to play with fast cars and fast women all the time.  I get to laugh my ass off at all the silly shit I read on TER, including yours.  As for being a bigot, I'll admit to being intollerant of bigots, that's for sure.  As for history, I've read more of it than you can imagine.  Now why don't you go total up the millions murdered by Hitler, during the Crusades, during the Muslim conquests for 800 AD on, during the Inquisition, and that's just for starters.
As for my "favorite moment," well, that was a bit of an exaggeration compared with, say, the birth of each of my kids.  But it certainly was my favorite moment while being accosted by a religious zealot.  Does that still upset you?  If so, please go pray to your favorite deity.

you haven't sinned since!  LOL!

it's not just the fact you lack the intellectual firepower to engage me in such a debate, you lack the intellectual intergry for me to even waste a breathe on you.

the problem you're having with me is that you have a bigoted, simplistic mind of a child.