I have some dear friends back in Texas, two people I went to high school with. Call them Donna Sue and Billy Ray.
Billy Ray was rodeo people, rowdy and bawdy as hell. More than once I saw him breeze through the front gate of a rodeo arena on a Friday night and 15 minutes later breeze out the back with one of those little poured-into-her-jeans Texas cowgirls, headed for the nearest horse trailer for what Lonesome Dove’s Gus McCrae would call a “poke.”
After Billy Ray and Donna Sue got together, that part of Billy Ray’s wild days ended, but other stuff, equally wild, went on for a bit.
So I was kinda surprised, a few years back, when I found out they’d suddenly gotten all goddy.
They were very good friends, generous friends, way back when, so I never got into the subject of atheism with them.
And I probably never will. I’d like to see them at least once more, for old time’s sake, next time I go back to Texas, and I know that won’t happen if the subject comes up.
Doesn’t mean I can’t talk about the multiply-forwarded emails Donna Sue sends me. Like this one:
Subject: Fw: Shock to NBC this Morning
This is not sent for discussion. If you agree, forward it. If you don’t, delete it.
I don’t want to know one way or the other. By me forwarding it, you know how I feel.
I’ll bet this was a surprise to NBC….
NBC POLL
Do you believe that the word God should stay in American culture?
NBC this morning had a poll on this question. They had the highest Number of responses that they have ever had for one of their polls, and the Percentage was the same as this:
86% to keep the words, IN God We Trust and God in the Pledge of Allegiance
14% against
That is a pretty ‘commanding’ public response.
I was asked to send this on if I agreed or delete if I didn’t …
Now it is your turn. It is said that 86% of Americans believe the word God should stay…….
Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having ‘In God We Trust’ on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Why is the world catering to this 14%?
AMEN!
If you agree, pass this on , if not, simply delete.
In God We Trust
The thing appeared to be signed by John D’Angelo, Ph. D., Professor (Retired)
Which is a little bit strange, since the email may be as old as 2004, according to a piece titled God Poll on Snopes.com.
I’m not even sure there is an actual John D’Angelo, Ph.D., but if there was, I’d say to him:
Well John, if these are your sentiments despite not being your words, I have an easy time understanding why there is such a mess about having “In God We Trust” on our money, and God in the Pledge.
It has to do mainly with two bedrock American principles: One, the principle of equal rights, the other the principle of separation of church and state.
What I don’t understand is those people who don’t understand that things like that are not subject to opinion polls, or even votes.
Giving the minority equal right to speak their minds, or to live in society, or to enjoy the same protections as the legal majority, is not “catering to” them. It’s respecting their rights – which are “rights” because they’re NOT subject to majority vote.