Atheists challenging ‘under God’ need to win hearts, not just minds

[hrmjustin]

Chris Stedman

This month, the Pledge of Allegiance turns 122 years old—but it has only included the phrase “under God” for half of that time.

Fittingly, the American Humanist Association (AHA) has launched a campaign asking Americans of all faiths and beliefs to boycott the Pledge (or “take a stand by sitting down”) until it is restored to its original “under God”-less state.

For the AHA, this isn’t just about history—they argue that the inclusion of “under God” is discriminatory, and that support for it reflects cultural anti-atheist bias. However, they think a history lesson could help, suggesting that educating Americans about the Pledge’s secular past could help increase public support.

- See more at: http://chrisstedman.religionnews.com/2014/09/08/atheists-challenging-god-need-win-hearts-just-minds/#sthash.HkD3LgB2.dpuf