Fox News host Dana Perino commented during a live segment on ‘Five on Fox,’ that she’s ‘tired of Atheists’ and suggests that if they (Atheists) don’t like the words “under God” being said in the Pledge of Allegiance then “they don’t have to live here.
The context here is that Massachusetts’ highest court is hearing a case against the Pledge which has been brought by atheist parents feeling that because of its religious wording, atheist children “are denied meaningful participation in this patriotic exercise.” The phrase “under God” is at the center of the whole case.
Here is the clip …
“I’m tired of them (Atheists). I remember working at the Justice Department years ago when I first started right after 9/11 and a lawsuit like this came through, and before the day had finished, the United States Senate and the House of Representatives had both passed resolutions saying that they were for keeping ‘under God’ in the pledge.” Perino went on to say, “If these people really don’t like it, they don’t have to live here.”
Bob Beckel a co-host agreed, “Yeah, that’s a good point.”
When Beckel asks if anyone knows whether or not the phrase “under God” was originally part of the Pledge or if it was added at a different time, to which Eric Bolling responds, “It doesn’t matter though. ‘In God We Trust’ is on our currency so are they saying that they want that removed? Or better yet, would the attorney choose not to take US currency which would be alright with me too.”
Sigh! …. what can I say except that this is the Fox news displaying a jaw-dropping degree of hypocrisy as usual – How dare these atheists force their belief upon us, if they refuse to recite an allegiance to our specific god concept then they need to get out.
The reality that they appear to be in complete ignorance of is that the US was founded on secular basis, there is supposed to be a wall of separation between church and state, and so the problem with “Under God” is that the state is in the game of promoting a specific belief. The pledge itself was written in 1892 without the “under god” bit, that was added later in 1954 by a bill of congress, but the Fox news folks don’t appear to know that.
One can only wonder how they might feel if an alternative batty belief was about to be rammed down their throats, for example “Under Allah”, “Under Govinda” or “Under Zeus”.
As for the idea of the US being a secular nation that is not in the game of promoting a specific belief, if these Fox news hosts don’t like that then they don’t have to live there. OK, that last comment is satire designed to mock their daft stance, secularism is not about enforcing non-belief, but rather is about a neutral state creating an even playing field that permits all beliefs and non-belief, giving no preference to any, nor deploying any discrimination against any.
People should be free to believe whatever they wish even if it is obvious to everybody else that they are daft kooks, and that includes Fox news hosts. What nobody gets to do is to mandate that all must conform to their specific beliefs – that is what is wrong with “Under God” and that is why it needs to go.
Sorry Dana but you just don’ t get it.Your religion is of no more importance than mine or no religion at all. It is a personal choice guaranteed by our (all of the people’s) constitution. You can believe in what you want and live in this country. Well, being of another religion, so can I or anyone who is an agnostic or non-believer.This is also OUR country. Study a little history and you will find out that Hitler went after atheists and then many others. Remember his “:Aryan Race”. Is that the path you are following?