Some months ago, I had a very interesting discussion with two American friends, both moderated, one Republican and one Democrat, who both know very well a big part of the World, including some Arabian countries and Europe. Both very well educated (Harvard), and both speaking perfectly four languages. So, not really some “average” guys ;-) We discussed the link between the religion and the State in America during quite a long time . Both agreed that G. Bush is making a religion war against the Muslims in Irak and Pakistan, and that the other “normal well-known” arguments which are always mentionned (petrol, geopolitics) exist but aren’t so relevant. That was completely new for myself, I was a bit sceptic, as a *lot* of European friends I met the last time.

This was for me a kind of new light concerning the war in Irak.

With some distance, I must say their analysis is definitely interesting. In this field, I read a post of Pierre Carion about the pledge of Allegiance. If I understand well, this is a school flag-raising ceremony which takes place each week. Foxnews published an history of the Pledge of Allegiance and its different versions. The Pledge currently reads:

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 find this idea of Pledge, as an integration “instrument”, ok. On the other side, as a French guy, I am surprised that the Pledge is containing such an explicit mention of *God*. What happens to all the Americans who are atheistic or who don’t care about religion? I have thought that, as in France, there is strong and clear separation between religion and the State. Questionable, no?

Pierre quoted also an extract from an interview between Robert Sherman, a reporter, and George Bush (the father ;-) in 1987:

RS: “What will you do to win the votes of Americans who are atheists?”

GB: “I guess I’m pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.”

RS: “Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?”

GB: “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.”

RS: “Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?”

GB: “Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I’m just not very high on atheists.”

I found this input interesting with the light of my two American friends…