Thanking God in our National Anthem

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I...wonder if one day some will take offense at official praise to God.

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Maybe. I'm offended just having a national anthem. I arrive late to sporting events on purpose just so I won't have to stand during the thing.

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"Intellectually, scientifically, even artistically, fundamentalism -- biblical literalism -- is a road to nowhere, because it insists on fidelity to revealed truths that are not true." -- Katha Pollitt

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It is my understanding that, at least in some states, students are required to recite the pledge of allegiance.

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This may be true; however, it is my understanding that if it is, then those states are violating the law since it is unconstitutional to force student to recite the pledge.The relevant question for the state that have "voluntary" recitations for the pledge is whether having state sanctioned recitation of the pledge creates an evironment where the student feels coerced into reciting the pledge with the others despite it being "voluntary".There have also been incidents where a student exercises her right to "sit out" and ends up being verbally criticized by the teacher in front of the class.

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"Intellectually, scientifically, even artistically, fundamentalism -- biblical literalism -- is a road to nowhere, because it insists on fidelity to revealed truths that are not true." -- Katha Pollitt

When I was in grade school (early '70s) we also had to say the pledge. No one informed me whether or not it was voluntary at that time. At any rate, at some point it stopped, although I didn't notice that it had stopped until high school, when in American Government class we learned about the controversy.In kindergarten we would start the day singing My Country 'Tis of Thee. I'm not much into displays of patriotism, but I still have a warm spot in my heart for that song. (And imagine: if that one were our national anthem, they would only have to play it once when the British head of state visits the US, or vice versa!)

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"Intellectually, scientifically, even artistically, fundamentalism -- biblical literalism -- is a road to nowhere, because it insists on fidelity to revealed truths that are not true." -- Katha Pollitt