Sunday, November 2, 2008

I pledge allegiance to the what?

In September of 1892 a youth magazine published a patriotic recitation in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' "discovery" of America. It read as follows:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all


It was intended for school children to recite at the festivities surrounding that Columbus Day. As far as I can tell it was not meant to be a required testament of a person's patriotism. It also did not include the words "under God". That wasn't added until the 1950's. That's actually a slightly separate topic.

I don't pledge my allegiance to my flag, of this country or any other country. I don't pledge my allegiance to any nation or power of this world. I know this makes me all kinds of things that patriots (people who follow the religion of nationalism?) like to say about people who don't immediately conform to their expectations.

I only pledge my allegiance to one Kingdom, and it is not a Kingdom of this world.

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