Who gets the highest priority when it comes to avoiding causing offense?
Asked by
josie (
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June 20th, 2011
Before the US Open broadcast, NBC showed a video of the “Pledge of Allegience”
NBC edited out the words “Under God”
We can only assume that this was done to avoid offending atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, and UFO worshippers.
On the other hand, I am sure it offended people who believe the the US exists under the watchful eye of God.
It created enough of an issue that NBC apologized on the air.
Anyhow, what or who determines who gets to be offended, and who does not?
Note: Please leave ME out of this. I am a devout atheist, but saying the word God does not offend me.
And although I did my best (and maybe my worst) in the service of the nation for which the flag stands, I am not sure about reciting the Pledge of Allegience. It sounds a little Big Brother-ish to me.
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22 Answers
In almost all cases, those who are funding it.
Having said that, Christians spent most of America’s history without saying “Under God” without being offended, so I think there’s a case to be made for returning to the old way without it being about religion (especially for tea partiers who are all about returning to the way things were when America was first founded…)
It’s like the money .. ” In God we trust” and still atheists use them [ U.S. dollars ].
I’m not sure who’s gonna be upset but I’m sure your hymn is with the Under God so they should stick to it or propose a change ^^
In my opinion, people need to stop being so offended all of the time. What does it mean to be “offended” anyway?
I like your “Note:...” at the bottom of the question, and I agree. I’m an atheist who is aware of the recent addition of “under god” to the pledge. I also cringe at the existence of a pledge at all.
Under God was added in 1954 and the dude who originally wrote it was a Socialist.
Is or is not “under god” in the current and official pledge of allegience?
It would stand to reason to me that NBC should simply show the pledge as it is, with “under god” included. If atheists don’t like it, then they can complain to the government.
If NBC takes it out, they are obviously showing favoritism, but if they leave it in they are just showing it as it actually is.
Yes, “under god” was added in the 50’s, but it was added. It is in there.
.
One nation, indivisible, under a highly divisive ironic statement about god
Muslims would be offended by “under God”?
@jaytkay: “Muslims would be offended by “under God”?”
Who knows? Everyone’s fragility is shocking. The muhammad comic controversy is just one example.
Note: I am not saying people should just accept everything the way it is. I’m just tired of hearing about people getting offended and demanding an apology rather than actually doing something. The world is full of people who are not you. They will say and do things that you may not do or say. Being offended by a naked breast or a sports broadcast’s production of some bullshit pledge should require that you do something. Right now it works like this…
I am offended + the offender apologizing = all better.
What about…
I am offended + I figure out why I am such a fragile mess + I do something about it + I get off my ass and change the way things are in the world = all better.
?
It’s clearly Christians. Every national presidential candidate acts like they are a true believer in some Christian faith. Christianity is the faith of the forefathers, and a majority of people seem to think we are a Christian nation. Most, if not all of the cases against religious symbols in public spaces are against Christian images.
Christianity is where the most votes in this country are, so that’s who you pander to, if you have to pander.
The group of folks that are most offended by the words being used.
Any person that gets worked up over words that are not specifically directed at him/her is a self-important douche bag that has lost control over something in his/her life that causes him/her to try and reassert that control in the lives of others, i.e. the language and words we use.
Therefore, to answer your question, self-important douche bags get the highest priority.
amen
@wundayatta If that is the case, why edit out the words “under God”. If we are pandering to Christians, words like Jesus and God would be left in.
@jaytkay Of course you are correct. I was sort of typing stream of consciousness. By the time I realized the mistake, too late to edit. To lazy to self-flag
@Blondesjon To be sure. So in this case, who are the self-important douche bags who got the stroking from NBC.
@josie They made a mistake. It sounds as if as soon as they realized they made a mistake, they went back to pandering to Christians. That’s how I see it, anyway.
They also took out the word indivisible. Maybe they were pandering to divisive people.
@jaytkay I missed that part. Now I am offended.
@josie . . . The same group of self-important douche bags that -
1. Are Evangelicals of any type. (religious or non)
2. Espouse the virtues of tolerance as long as these virtues are only applied to tolerating their specific views.
3. Don’t give a shit, one way or the other, about the issue but love hearing their own voice raised in self-righteous indignation.
In effect, the same group that always comes out for this type of fun. They may come in different flavors but the acid indigestion they leave behind is always the same.
Than heaven NASCAR are not a bunch of whimps like the PGA and NBC (Nutt’n But Cry babies).
Christians certainly seem fragile.
The “POP’s” Professionally Offended People. They’re a sensitive bunch so they are:¬)
@josie Certainly a close relation….those dumb cunts…..err, cults ;¬}
Are all these people who get offended by everything just bored? I can’t really think of a better explanation… people with shit to do don’t have time to get offended by small things.
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