At the beginning of one of my soccer games I noticed that one of my teammates was looking around when the national anthem was being played. I asked him why he was being disrepectful during the anthem. He said that because he is a Jehovah’s Witness they don’t honor the flag but he didn’t know why they do that. Does it have something to do with not taking “oathes” other than to God or am I just guessing? Does this mean they don’t honor the United States?
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been instrumental in bringing several free speech cases to the Supreme Court. Some have been about mandatory flag salutes. I believe that after an initial Supreme Court ruling against them, SCOTUS finally supported the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ desire to not participate in activities like the Pledge of Allegiance.
Interestingly, the JW is about the only religion banned by the SIngaopore government, because of they won’t join the military. (all singapore males are required to do military service)
Thanks, all for answering. So if they don’t believe they owe allegiance to any nation then do they still pay taxes?
Yes. Taxes are not an allegiance thing. Taxes are a law of the land thing. Taxes are a secular investiture of money, not a swearing of fealty.
Just as an aside, some folks (Mennonites in my experience) will practice war tax resistance in addition to consciencious objection to military service.
Also, the pledge of allegiance could be considered idolatry.
I also refuse to say the pledge of allegiance for religious reasons. As an atheist, I object to the phrase “one nation under God.” But I otherwise try to be as respectful as possible and not draw attention to myself when everyone else is reciting it.
West Virginia Board of Ed v. Barnette. Anyone interested in First Amendment law absolutely needs to read this decision, one of the most eloquent ever written, IMHO.
From the decision West Virginia Board of Ed v. Barnette:
“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”
In other words, nobody in the US government can force people to take oaths or allegiances of faith. nationalism or of other opinions.
Sorry, but wrong. My father went to work for the U.S. Government, and had to sign several Loyalty Oaths prior to being hired. Not an offer, but a demand of the job. He he refused, he would not have been given his Security Clearance. Period.
Cartooniverse
Yes, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t have refused. Think of it this way: Nobody can force him to scrub toilets, either, but if he takes a job as a janitor, he’ll be fired if he doesn’t.
Oaths, or affirmations? The former has religious denotations.
Just think of it as ‘One nation under money’. That’s what they mean anyway.
As for the OP, none of the JW’s that I knew as a kid ever stood for the pledge. BTW we stopped doing the pledge in like 2nd or 3rd grade, it seems like some of you are implying that you still do it…why/where do you do it?
I feel I ought to refer to my experience with the above:
Matt Canvasses a JW on the Campaign Trail, Fails to Convince Him to Vote NDP, Has Some Fun Anyway
However, atheists can not hold office under the Texas Constitution, article 1, section 4.
I don’t know if this has ever been challenged in the federal courts, but it’s still in the Texas Constitution.
Whatever, so long as they don’t come to my door.
Religious tests for any office, whether Federal or State, were struck down by the case of Torcaso v. Watkins in 1961. It was a case involving a law that required all notaries public in Maryland to state their belief in God. It was ruled inconstitutional according to the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
This is a discussion of the pledge of allegiance in schools.
Is there an alternative for atheists to swearing "to tell the whole truth…, so help me, God"? Or are those the words only on TV?
Cecil covered the question of atheists testifying in court with this column