Wednesday, a federal judge in Sacramento declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional -- a decision that could put the divisive issue on track for another round of Supreme Court arguments.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation "under God" violates schoolchildren's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."
I agree.
Make the pledge more inclusive.
There shouldn’t be a coercive requirement to affirm God or anyone else.
Here is my alternative pledge.
I realize that it needs some editing.
I know that I have left out many who need to be included.
Please mail me your suggestions.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under…God, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Socrates, Zoroaster, George Washington, the Greek gods, Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, all of the Saints…my Grandma… and anyone who pays taxes…indivisible and with Liberty and Justice for all.”
1 comment:
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Testimony from a suvivor of Katrina.
This is unedited and unchanged.
To Show How Good GOD is. Read all please.
LIVE FOR YOUR TOMORROW,Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 11:04:06 -0500
I always did like that Bishop Eddie Long in Georgia. Get ready for this one.
This is well worth everybit of reading and yes George shed some tears - MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A Testimony!
A friend sent this to me from Tyler Perry's message board.
www.TylerPerry.com
It's a Testimony from one of the Hurricane Survivors. I must share this!I have chills, God is Amazing and he's using his people.... Just when you think you've read good news it gets even better.
Candiss Boyd,
Commenting on: General -- Message Board.
I have a testimony:
Tyler I would like to share with you my testimony : that Miracles do happenI lived in New Orleans for 20 years. I always wanted to move, just to get ahead in life, or basically to have a new Environment.
However fear kept me from moving. I had to move to a lower income sector of New Orleans after my husband died. I prayed and asked God just to help me get over my fear, so I can get away from from the city.
I just wanted a better life for my kids. another year past , and I still did not move. After a while I began to think, well I will never move because I don't have the money to do so. I just began to really settle in my proverty.
I thought since I came from a generation of poor people, then maybe it is for me to be this way.I was in agony over this for 8 months. Then the hurricane came. The force of the water was so high, that it split my house in half. I kid you not the only thing that was not destroyed was a picture of my granparents who raise me,
Grandmother passed away in 2003. and my grandfather died after the hurricane, because he had no water, nor his medicine. I was able to put a white sheet over him. That was hard walking way. I know God was with me when I look back on this. Then they transported us to Houston.
I was praying some how that God would just take me a my two sons (they are identical twins). Their names are Cameron and Caleb and My oldest daughter name is charisse from the houston dome. I was praying that God would just move my family from houston to atlanta some how.
The opportunity came for me and my two sons to be transported to atlanta. I was so happy. I thought that God had answer my prayers. Since I took my time moving from New Orleans, The hurricane helped me in a way to leave and start a new life. At this time my oldest daughter was missing, I was real nervous and so afraid for the worse.
Two people that I knew said, they saw her dead by the k-mart store. I was devasted. 5 months ago I lost my oldest son Carlos to the Iraq war. I just did not want to lose another one of children. That is a painful feeling when you lose your child. Anyway, I was transported to Atlanta, GA. As I got off the plane, delta flew 250 survivors from houston, tx to atlanta airport. AS I came off the plane, I was crying, because once again fear just grabbed my heart. I was in a new city, and I knew no one.
I just prayed and asked the good Lord to please help me and my kids.I am single parent now, I lost my husband 5 year ago to cancer. We walked in the airport, and I saw people with smiling faces cheering for us, and clapping for us. That ease my nerves just a little. However, they pointed us to go in a certain direction.
I saw New Birth Missionary Baptist church members running toward us, it scared me for a moment. They were crying, and smiling and so happy and cheerful. 7 buses then transported us to New Birth Baptist church in east atlanta. I still did not remember where I was. the name of the church sounded so familar.
We walked in a center, and they had their people giving us hugs, baskets, flowers, people were on campus to fix our hair, and give my sons, hair cuts, so much help was there. I was able to get a red cross card, clothes, eveything. My little boy said to me, "mommy, we did not get this when we were living in New Orleans, I am so happy". Then we had a nice hot good dinner. I have not eaten in 7 days, because I was trying to keep my sons from getting sick. so I would give them my sandwhiches.
I was so weak. the center on the church campus was so organized. I thought where am I, what place is this, whoever church this is, it is HUGE. Soon as I was thinking these thoughts Low and behold Bishop Eddie Long walked in and I screamed, I was crying tears of joy. This is the pastor I have been watching on TV for 8 months. I never thought I would meet him in person. He came around to each person, and greeted us.
I am talking about a real greeting. He was giving real hugs, he was not afraid to touch us. when he got to my table, i was just crying so hard. " he said to me, "hey sister come here", I ran over to him, and broke down. He kissed me on my cheek and said, God's people are here for you and so I am. It is okay, you can cry, release your "FEAR". ( the magic word I needed to hear). Then he said, "are you here by yourself?"
I said no, "my two boys are here, and my daughter I just don't know where she is, two people told me they saw her dead at a k-mart store back in New Orleans, and I lost my oldest son to the war, and my late husband died 5 years ago to cancer". He looked at me and said, You are mighty in God, for God to trust you with trouble. ( I cried even harder). Then he said, "your daughter, "I don't feel in my spirit that she is dead. That is lie, your daughter is alive". Just like that. He called one of his staff members over and said , "Please get on the phone QUICK and call Katrina search team so we can find her daughter".
I was still thinking, "but how, are you going to do that." she could be any where. It was if he heard what I was thinking and said, "what is your name?" Candiss, I said. Candiss, why do you doubt God? If God said it then you must believe it. Then he said, candiss, what took you so long to move here, fear kept you bound for many years, but today is a new day. Then he handed me flowes and said welcome to the age of possibilies, this is the year YOU MUST COME ALIVE" I mean just like that, I was so shocked, because I knew God almighty was talking to me then.
I was more shocked that Eddie Long knew the right words to say to me. I cried some more, and even harder. after I got myself together, this lady walked up to me out the clear blue and said, "excuse me sister, can I talk with you, her name tag said shay smith. she said, can I speak with you for a second.
I thought did i do something terribly wrong. "RELAX, RELAX, I feel your tension, it is alright, she laughed." Did you have insurance, or health benfits, I said, yes some. she said, well you are going to need insurance, and benfits, now that you are here, let me check your red cross card to see if it is working properly, then she said come see me after you finish here with the insurance agent.
I was thanking the good Lord, that I was getting insurance and benefits for my kids and myself. After I finished I went over to shay smith ( this is what it read on her name tag), and she said, well, I am glad that worked out for you, however, your children need to be in school, so another lady name Doris Manchester, said to me I want to pay for your kids to go to faith Academy, which is one of Georgia's TOP christian private schools, it so happened to be the school bishop Long is the founder and president of.
This is the school i dreamed for my kids to go to if I ever moved. Vicki Winans grad kids goes to this schools, alot celebrties bring their children to this school. I started to cry again because I always wanted to put my kids in a good christian private school back in New Orleans but I never had the money, or I could not find one, or if I did find one, it was to far out. This lady bought my sons uniforms, book bags, and school supplies. She helped me fill out some papers to get my kids registered.
By this time Tyler I am so filled with joy. So after we loaded up on the bus again , i was able to get a little tour of atlanta as we were going to our hotel. My mouth dropped, I have never been in a five star hotel in my life. My sons was doing flips and turns. My son Cameron begin to cry, he said Mommy, they are so nice. I never want to leave atlanta. Mommy please don't move back new orleans. I like it here"
That just gave me confirmation that this was our new home town. we had round the clock room service, church members gave us Tyler Perry Family baskets with all your Dvd's including t-shirts, they gave us tickets to see madea goes to jail when it comes here to atlanta, they even had diary the movie in the basket( can you believe this) I was crying and laughing at the same time. They gave me more pretty roses and home cooked food.
later yesterday evening I was in my room, and the front desk operator called and said I had vistors, I thought it was more of New Birth church staff or something. So I opened the door and it was the two ladies who helped me with at church, my red cross card, and paid for my sons schooling. I was so shocked, I said, oh my God, they gave me a card and a hug. Shay is her name said to me, Candiss, we love you so much, and we know the importance of having family
(okay wait because I am getting ready to cry as I type this) she said, and we know how important family is to Bishop Long, to us, and to you, so we wanted to bring you a miracle, we wanted to show you that God still sits on the throne, we wanted to show you that God hears your prayers and collect your tears as sweet worship to Him. We wanted to show you why you should NEVER doubt God.".... she open the door, and My oldest daughter walked in.
I screamed. I am crying now as I type this. Oh my God, I was screaming so bad. Just to see my daughter alive. when I looked up the two ladies they were crying so bad. my children and I just ran to them and cried some more.Okay, after we got ourselves together, I cried so bad on those ladies outfits, I pray that they have a good dry cleaning that they can take their outfits to. So they told told me Okay, we are taking your kids shopping
My children began to cry, they ran and just hugged them. I said, all this for me. I just thank you God so much. we had so much fun. I never laughed so much at these two ladies. I was just able to open up and be myself. I did not realize I had so much in side me tyler. I was able to cry, and laugh, something I have not done since after my husband's death, almost 6 years ago.
My daughter said to me after they bought us back to the hotel from the mall, "mom I love you so much, and I will always listen to from now on. I will never give you a hard time again, I will help my younger brothers. then she said, I love shay, I just feel so safe when I talk to her momma. Mom, I am so proud you for not staying in New Orleans. Please don't go back momma, it will get better for us here in our new home town."I broke down and cried some more.
I know you are thinking you was doing alot of crying. I just could not help it. I was so full! Then the bus came and took us to service at the church. My sons was were in amazement, mom this is church? Mom this looks like the super dome. My daughter was said , momma this is one big church, look at these people." I could not beleive it. I thought, well maybe the camera is maing teh church bigger than what it is.
No, i was wrong the Tv camera makes the church look smaller than what it is. Tyler, that traffic was amazing getting to and from new birth. In the middle of the service, Bishop Long says , where is Candiss Boyd from New Orleans? oh my God. I was like he can't be talking to me infront of all these people. My kids were like Momma that is you, that is you, what you do momma, are you in trouble?
Eddie Long said, " Candiss Boyd I know you are in here, come out of hiding, where are you? So I slowly walked to the altar. I was so nervous and scared. bishop Long was laughing, he said now girl you heard me calling you, why didn't you answer. You are so shy, what is up!Then he called his wife over ( oh my Lord, she is so pretty and nice), come up here candiss, he told the church that I was from new Orleans, before he could say another sentence people just started jumping up and running to the front giving me money, I was gasping for air. Then he said everybody from New Orleans, Mississippi, Flordia, Alabama who was transported here because of the hurricane come now to me.
The front was filled with people. Then he turned to me and said, God saved you for a reason, and fear will not hold you back any more. I command your spirit to be free from fear and doubt. Don't hold on to stuff that God is telling you to let go and don't look back, because it will hinder your foward motion in God. God is about to slide you into something that you thought would never happen in your life."
Of course I was one sobbing lady okay. I was crying so hard. he said the suvivors I cast the spirit proverty off of your lives and your blood line, and your home towns. YOU will be lenders and never a borrower."he said those of at this altar, I want you to tell God thank you.... God is about to give double for trouble. staff handed each od us a envelope, it was a check for 10,000. Also, it was 2 set of keys.
He said these are your keys to your new cars and your new houses. I screamed, every person that came up, was on the floor. My kids was crying so bad. I got a all brick 5 bed room, 3 1/2 bath house. fully Loaded with furniture, my kids got computers. they are now helping us find jobs.Tyler, you just don't know. God has blessed me. Miracles do happen.
My kids and I are enjoying watching your dvd's at our new home here in atlanta. I finally can see the light. It feel so good to laugh, and just have a new mind set about life. I thank God for you Mr.Perry, Bishop Eddie Long, Shay Smith, Doris Manchester, and the entire new birth church family.
Thank you and I love you. Mr.Perry keep your faith strong. I am praying for your family and know that God will work it out for yours like he did for mine.
10:13 PM
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