For you US citizens (and those whose nations have a similar patriotic oath), how do you feel about your children saying the pledge in school if it's customary?
My daughter is in 3rd grade and part of her school's morning routine includes the pledge. When we stopped attending meetings a year ago, my wife and I explained to her that we don't agree with the JW "idolatry" classification so, naturally, she started joining her class in the pledge.
Fast forward to the present: My wife and I are both non-theists who want to raise ethical, caring, tolerant children, but also children who aren't afraid to stand apart, especially when that stand isn't popular. The more my daughter gets pulled towards pop culture and conformity, the more I want her to develop critical thinking skills and the courage to go against the herd.
This makes for a tricky situation. I don't want her to be mocked and ridiculed for being different but I also don't want her to be pressured into joining in the pledge. Honestly, I kinda detest the thought of the flag salute & pledge of allegiance being pushed on kids at all but not because it's idolatrous. There are plenty of other reasons.
To me, it’s like a form of brainwashing, though not necessarily effective. Do elementary school kids really understand what they’re saying when they recite the pledge?? Pressuring children chant some oath every day isn’t the brightest way to build appreciation for their country's freedoms, is it?
Then there’s the phrase “under God” (which, by the way, was only added to the pledge in the 1950's). Ironic in a country that prides itself on diversity and freedom of belief, the national pledge, by default, limits the pledger to a monotheistic view.
"Oh, but it's what the flag stands for - justice and freedom!"
Not to everyone. Besides, symbol meanings evolve over time. The swastika didn't originate with Nazism, that's just the current Western view of it. If I want my kids to recite some pledge to liberty and justice, then I’ll they can write a pledge to liberty and justice. But I don’t make patriotic vows of “my country, right or wrong” and I certainly don’t want my kids to do so.
Of course, I wouldn't just up and tell my kid to STOP this practice because it's bad. My goal is to build critical thinking so that she arrives at her own well-informed conclusion. Then if she makes a stand, it'll be due to her own convictions. (Of course, deep down I hope she'll see it the same way.)
But maybe I'm overthinking (or underthinking) this. Any thoughts?
