"Under God"

[Bryan Wildenthal]

I appreciate Dan Conkle's further information on Jefferson. I am sure there are other examples where Jefferson acknowledged "God," and I may have overstated his views. But I read the below language (as Dan seems to concede it may be read) as a very eloquent statement of why even a deeply devout religious person should not want to demand that his or her fellow citizens be required to put with an imposition like a state-prescribed religious pledge.
 
Bryan Wildenthal
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: conlawprof-bounces at lists.ucla.edu [mailto:conlawprof-bounces at lists.ucla.edu]On Behalf Of Conkle, Daniel O.
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 5:18 AM
To: conlawprof at lists.ucla.edu
Subject: "Under God"



Bryan Wildenthal includes the following notation in his posting:

Thomas Jefferson School of Law (a school named for a President, need I point out, who would have been deeply troubled by a state-mandated "under God" patriotic pledge)

It may be relevant to note -- perhaps in support of each position on this issue? -- that Jefferson's famous Bill for Religious Liberty was expressly predicated, in its preamble, on the proposition that "Almighty God hath created the mind free" and that compelled religion is "a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do." 

Dan Conkle 
************************************** 
Daniel O. Conkle 
Professor of Law 
Indiana University School of Law 
Bloomington, Indiana  47405 
(812) 855-4331 
fax (812) 855-0555 
e-mail conkle at indiana.edu 
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