Bless you!

[Old Man Marsh]

"Haha! Your soul flew away!"

[natachan]

I haven't said the pledge since I was sixteen. I never intend to say it again. Not only is rote recitation an inauthentic way of displaying loyalty or affection for my country, but I reject the idea of allegiance. I think blind loyalty to any entity is unhealthy and unhelpful. It is the ideas that I value, and if the country stops representing them then I have no obligation to support it.

[onlinebiker]

Every traitor that ever was, took a loyalty oath and no doubt recited the pledge louder than anyone else in the room.


So what's the fucking point???

[Messofadreamer]

I would like to stray away from anything religious, no matter how "harmless" it may seem. I've been argued with that "bless you" is no longer religious, but more so good maners., I have never heard some one who was brought up without religion say "bless you", when I sneezed. Its a normal bodily function, I do not need you to acknowledge it. But. I do Thank the person who "blesses" me, and it pains me every time. My reason for giving my Thanks is because I enjoy harmony and coexistence, I want to be a part of a path of people who put good in to the world without religion. Therefore I have to be accepting, open minded and Loving to everyone around me.

When I was in elementary doing the pledge, I sometimes felt like every morning I was under a dictatorship and had to preach someone I didn't even know. We were punished for being late if we missed the pledge, no eyelash was batted if I made it in time for the speech. I also found it ridiculous to stand and do something I didn't want to do without my consent. I looked at the pledge like it was an unwelcomed burden. Eventually I stopped saying the pledge as I stood or skipped the "under god part.

[Shadow Fox]

I CURSE THEE IN THE NAME OF SATAN!

[Free Thought]

(02-06-2016 09:18 PM)toantranhhs Wrote:  *Sneeze
- "God bless you".
- "Uhm... thank you, but you don't have to say it next time".

What's your thought on the tradition of saying "Bless you"?

I'm never heard that phrase with 'god' at the front. I just ignore it or nod. My personal substitues are to say nothing at all, or if I know the sneezer 'good job'

(02-06-2016 09:18 PM)toantranhhs Wrote:  Announcement: "Students please stand up for the pledge"
*Stand up looking at the flag, not putting hand on heart and not saying the pledge.
5 minutes later...
- "Why didn't you put your hand on your heart and pledge?"
- "I didn't say the pledge because I don't believe that our nation is under God. I don't put my hand on my heart because it is brainwashing to make a hand sign to a flag everyday".
- "But you stood up..."
- "Because I have respect and love to our nation"

What's your thought on the pledge?

As a non-Yank, I find the near obsession with the pledge (and patriotism in general) to just be creepy.