“I Pledge Allegiance to the Earth…”

(By Christian)

pledge-allegiance-earth“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I haven’t actually stood facing a flag with my hand over my heart reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” for decades, but the words come back to me as if I just did it yesterday. As an impressionable youngster, these words were ingrained in my memory and I was conditioned each morning as school started to believe them: my loyalty belongs to America, America cannot be divided, America is a godly nation, America brings liberty and justice for all. Each one of these ideas could be several blog posts in and of themselves, but I want to leave all the obvious questions (and problems) behind and think for a minute about the concept as a whole: pledging your allegiance to a country, to any country.

I was at a soccer match a couple of years ago. As the game ended and we left the stadium, I was next to a scuffle that broke out between fans of the home team and fans of the away team. The people involved in the scuffle didn’t know each other. The only thing clearly evident about each of the scuffling participants is that they were passionate about their allegiance to their team. I can’t help but wonder how different the encounter between them would have been if it wasn’t loyalty to a team that was emphasized, but instead loyalty to the sport. Instead of fighting, perhaps they would have enjoyed a drink together as fellow fans! I like to think so, especially since soccer in this country could use all the support it can get!

Humans have been dividing themselves into groups since the beginning, and something about human nature makes us want our groups to compete with (and dominate) the other groups. Rival schools! Rival sports teams! Rival sports! On a much more serious level, it’s no wonder we have such severe rivalry between races and nations, the “grown-up” version of all the rivalries we reveled in as children. We’re raised with the mentality in almost everything we do that our loyalty lies to a smaller group within the whole. How many times have you heard a local newscast about some tragedy in another country and what is emphasized is not the number dead, but the number dead from your country. On a daily basis, we are conditioned to believe that those from our “group” are more important than those from other “groups.”

My hope is that as the world gets smaller and smaller, these divisions become less and less emphasized. Of course, some division is necessary from a practical point of view, but the emphasis on those divisions is often backwards. Our allegiance should be first to the whole of which we are a part, and should then diminish as the divisions decrease in size. Let’s emphasize the humanity we all share over and above all of our man-made divisions. Perhaps if this mentality regarding “country first” changed to “humanity first,” we’d have at least one less thing to fight each other over.

So no, the Pledge of Allegiance won’t be coming out of my mouth any time soon. If someone wants to write a Pledge to Earth and Humanity, I’ll think about it. . . at least until the aliens land. 

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thine own

Or of thine friend’s were.

Each man’s death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

 

 

33 Comments

  1. NoelleNovember 17, 2013

    Yes yes & YES.

    Patriotic/national pride is one of the ugliest. (tempted to start quoting People are People by Depeche Mode)

    “My hope is that as the world gets smaller and smaller, these divisions become less and less emphasized”

    I will hope with you.

    Go team humanity.

  2. NoelleNovember 17, 2013

    …But with that said, GO STEELERS!
    Mercy, I’m a hypocrite.

  3. JasonNovember 17, 2013

    I like this. American exceptionalism not only often flies in the face of the actual facts, but also creates a kind of insulated and unhealthy narcissism. We need to get out more.

    PS – Go Greendale Human Beings!

  4. Amanda GarciaNovember 17, 2013

    I really like what you are saying. “Let’s emphasize the humanity we all share over and above all of our man-made divisions. Perhaps if this mentality regarding “country first” changed to “humanity first,” we’d had at least one less thing to fight each other over.” It’s the splintering of a people into non-essential units, that makes their greatness collapse. I wish people could stop being so myopic, focusing on their little world and instead try to incorporate their ideas into the whole, respectfully and intelligently.

  5. ChristianNovember 17, 2013

    Jason, as much as I dislike (and disagree with) American Exceptionalism, I think every country has their share of patriots who value their own countrymen over and above humanity as a whole.

  6. JasonNovember 18, 2013

    Agreed, but I just think that exceptionalism becomes a truly bad thing when coupled with the resources to promote slash implement it (which we obviously do).

    I recently finished Jeremy Rifkin’s book The European Dream, and in it he argues that the American Dream is dying and being replaced, partially because the American Dream is based on the old nation-state model in which the government’s role is to protect private property, and in our Internet age, ownership’s just not what it used to be. It’s all about access to a common pool of resources now, not about exclusive ownership of them. This, he argues, is illustrated on a large scale by the European Union, which is a more postmodern model than the US.

    I think a good example is Spotify (only slightly tongue-in-cheek here). It has gotten to the point that when people say, “Do you have the new Arcade Fire album?”, I have to answer, “I don’t know what you mean.” I guess I “own” it, but I’m not sure.

    All that to say, nationalism of any kind can only become increasingly meaningless as geographical borders lose their significance in an online world.

  7. MelissaNovember 18, 2013

    Mother of Jaysus, Christian…thank you. Thank you for expressing this, and so articulately. I’ve felt this way for so long and am only just coming around to it as a valid opinion in the past ten years. Seeing that this is a far more honorable way to exist than the other.

    Fuck dude, that shit was HOT.

  8. Jacob MedinaNovember 18, 2013

    Is there a difference between nationalism and pride in where you are from? Would you say there is a distinct line or demarcation where it becomes wrong? Is there room to fight for what you believe is right as it pertains to culture and country? Honest question with no hidden agenda. I have very little “allegiance” to the good old US of A except for the fact Ive lived my whole life here and was educated here but my dad is not a US citizen so the idea of “Nationalism” was never really propagated in my house. So while I do not have any sort of deep allegiance to the United States (Ive never even voted) I do have a strong sense of pride in where I’m from…San Diego. Also, I need to raise a serious point here with the example you gave. I’m almost positive, if given the chance, you would punch a Celtic fan who was wearing a Garnet jersey celebrating outside Staples…get real.

  9. JasonNovember 18, 2013

    While we’re waiting for Christian to respond (since it’s his post), yes, I would absolutely punch that Celtic fan. I would also punch Garnett himself, if I were tall enough to actually hit his face. ¡Odio los Celticos!

    I guess I make a distinction between really liking something and taking “pride” in it, reserving the latter for actual accomplishments. So while I might take pride in winning an award or something, I don’t take pride in having happened to be born someplace (since I had nothing to do with it). It’s like being proud of having blue eyes, it just seems like a category mistake to me.

  10. JacobNovember 18, 2013

    Sorry Christian, I thought Jason had written this hence the reference to Celtics. Ill admit I’m pretty loosey goosey with my semantics. I have found it allows for easy recantation and evacuation from verbal altercations. So I guess I’ll just say…”Im proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free”…take that Yeo Ming.

  11. ChristianNovember 18, 2013

    What Jason said. I’d rather be appreciative of the advantages being American has given me than proud of it.

    There needs to be a word that is the equivalent to “racism” but on a national level. I’m not sure “nationalism” fits the bill since it doesn’t necessarily imply that someone thinks they’re better than someone else. I don’t see much difference between someone thinking they’re better because their skin is white vs someone thinking they’re better because of where they’re from. They both lead to hate, oppression and fighting in my opinion.

  12. ChristianNovember 18, 2013

    Of course, the main difference between them is that racism is frowned upon while nationalism (the ugly parts of it) is taught and encouraged. It’s even considered noble. That might even make it more insidious.

  13. JacobNovember 18, 2013

    Can a British citizen be appreciative of what his country has has given him and proud of what it has accomplished for good in the world or is being “Proud” completely frowned upon? Do you think the majority who promote Nationalism also display this kind of “racism”. Its also interesting that (correct me if Im wrong here) the vast majority of countries have pledges and anthems that speak of pride in their country and are taught to their children early on. Do you think this idea of being proud of where you are from is somehow part of our human nature? It seems far too wide spread to be discredited as merely human convention.

  14. ChristianNovember 18, 2013

    I think being proud of a country is different than being proud of being from a country. To me, being proud of being from somewhere is a bit obnoxious because you really had nothing to do with it. Being from a certain place is not an accomplishment. You’re not better than someone who is not from your country. If your country has accomplished some good in the world, of course, that’s something to be admired, and we should always be appreciative of advantages given to us.

    I do think certain divisions are necessary simply from an administrative and practical viewpoint, and whether it’s by clan, tribe, village, city or country, those kinds of divisions have existed as long as man has. It’s the over-emphasis of those divisions and the under-emphasis of what we have in common that causes problems, in my opinion. How many wars can be traced back to a seed of nationalistic pride and a false sense of superiority?

    Why are we pledging our allegiance and loyalty to a certain group of people over another? What good can come from that? What good has come from that? Wouldn’t it be better to expand our loyalties to humanity as a whole and not think so small?

  15. ZrimNovember 18, 2013

    As I once told an incredulous neo-Calvinist who wanted to baptize all things western and asked me, “Are you seriously saying you wouldn’t rather live in 21st century America (where we have light bulbs, toilet paper, and democracy) than in Jesus’ time and place (where there is none of that)?” I says to him, I says I says, “Oh, no, I’d much rather live in 21st century America, but not because it’s better than Jesus’ time and place but because it’s mine. Big difference.”

    The reason Michael Scott’s “World’s Best Boss” is funny is that he really and objectively believes it. He doesn’t understand it’s an expression of love and loyalty (cheesy as it may be). When I say my dad is the best father in the world, it’s not because I actually and objectively think he’s better than yours. It’s simply a way of expressing love and loyalty. Same with America. It’s the best because it’s mine. American exceptionalism is the political version of Michael Scott’s coffee mug.

  16. JasonNovember 18, 2013

    Some Protestant I used to know wrote this about G.K. Chesterton:

    In his chapter “The Flag of the World” in Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton remarks that when he was a boy he was constantly told that there were two kinds of men in the world, the optimist and the pessimist. “The optimist,” he writes, “thought everything good except the pessimist, and the pessimist thought everything bad, except himself.”


    Chesterton came to conclude that there is a “deep mistake” in categorizing people in this way, for before one can criticize or accept some aspect of the culture he must come to terms with his “primary loyalty” to the world as a whole. “My acceptance of the universe,” he says, “is not optimism, it is more like patriotism.” Thus the problem with the pessimist is not that he is overly-critical, but that he does not love what he criticizes. And likewise, the problem with the optimist is that he will defend the indefensible with the jingoistic battle cry of “My cosmos, right or wrong.”


    The way of escape from these two options is in what Chesterton describes as an irrational loyalty to the world, not because is great or even good, but because it is ours.

  17. NoelleNovember 19, 2013

    I think I knew that protestant. I find it ironic that far right Christians generally carry a blind allegiance for their country and a strange disdain for the earth. They love the one created by man and hate the one created by God.

  18. JasonNovember 19, 2013

    “But we, brethren, are waiting for a news heavens and a new America, wherein dwelleth peace.”

  19. ZrimNovember 19, 2013

    Of course, the problem with loyalty to the earth and humanity is in how it excludes and shows disdain for space aliens.

  20. ChristianNovember 19, 2013

    “If someone wants to write a Pledge to Earth and Humanity, I’ll think about it. . . at least until the aliens land.”

    🙂

  21. Johnny TNovember 21, 2013

    Nationalism Sucks!

    Ever since 10th grade, I would say this instead of the Pledge:

    I plead alignment to the flanks of the untitled snakes of a merry cow. And to the Republicans, for which they scam, one nacho, underpants, with licorice and jugs of wine for owls. (From Matt Groenigs “Life is Hell” comic).

    Read it out loud, and it sounds like the real Pledge. It makes me laugh every time I say it, and fills my heart with haughty pride.

  22. JasonNovember 21, 2013

    Ha ha. Jugs.

  23. ChristianNovember 21, 2013

    Ha ha, Johnny!

    I wish I would have known that one the other day. I was put to the test a couple of days after I wrote this. I was in my daughter’s middle school office during announcements, sitting on a couch next to the flag. The Pledge was announced and everyone in the office stood, faced the flag (and therefore me), put their hands over their hearts and recited the pledge. (It’s kinda weird when you really think about it.) I stayed seated. Needless to say, I got more than a few glares from the staff and students in the room.

    It’s not that I hate my country or am not thankful for the advantages it’s given me. It’s just that the scope of my allegiance is larger than just America.

  24. NoelleNovember 21, 2013

    Ha, Johnny! Funniest thing I’ve read all day! (sitting here reading aloud & giggling like a school girl)

  25. […] In episode 10 of Drunk Ex-Pastors, “Free Whiskey, Bad Teachers, and Sex Education”, I relate a story about my daughter having her phone taken away in class last year. The issue was that, while her regular teacher allowed phone usage in class, the substitute she had that day did not, so her phone was confiscated. To retrieve the phone, I had to make a visit to the school, which ended up with me inadvertently making a more public stand against The Pledge of Allegiance than I had intended. Again, the full story is available in the podcast below. (My thoughts on The Pledge of Allegiance are also available here.) […]

  26. elizabeth longMarch 24, 2015

    Well written.
    Need I say more?

  27. ChristianMarch 24, 2015

    Thanks, Elizabeth!

  28. LaneMarch 31, 2015

    I’m of two minds on this, leaning more toward Christian. As a veteran, I find it very easy to fall into a nationalism mindset. I do want to support our country, but not to extent of condemning other nations. However, over the last few years as I became more and more Christian, I came to see my nationalism as an idol. My identity as a Christian transcends nation boundaries. It was very freeing to come to the realization that God does not need America, for America’s sake. It’s okay to criticize America, because it doesn’t equal the Kingdom of God. I want to love my neighbor, all of them; anything that gets in the way of that needs to be torn down.

  29. JasonApril 1, 2015

    Well said, Lane!

    PS – And death to the West. . . .

  30. HeathNovember 30, 2015

    I’m trying to find out who are depicted at the bottom of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Earth poster. I cannot make out the images as all I am able to find are too pixelated/grainy out simply too small to make out. Can you help me? Thank you.
    Heath

  31. JasonNovember 30, 2015

    No idea, Heath. Sorry!

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