I am as patriotic as they come, so please don't interpret this post as anything other than a desire to see our country come back to the principles for which it once stood. Having said that, I am becoming more and more disenfranchised with the pledge of allegiance.

Here are my reasons:
 

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America"

Within some religious circles, you have already lost people. Some refuse to pledge to a country. Some view a flag as a form of an idol and the Bible says that one should not worship an idol. The Supreme Court disagreed with these views and in 1940 in the Minersville School District v. Gobitis ruling, the court decided that government schools could force children, no matter their religious beliefs, to pledge allegiance to the country. They opined that the national interests of having children who were patriotic outweighed the religious beliefs of those children. 

The ruling in Gobits was overturned by the Supreme Court in the Barnette case 3 short years after they decided it. They said, sure, have your religious freedom America. Not because your right to practice religion freely, matters, but because your free speech matters. 

"and to the republic for which it stands"

If you watch any politician, newspaper, or most Americans talk today about the country, you would come away with the distinct impression that we are a democarcy, not a republic. After all, democracy is at stake in everything we do. When we talk about country, we talk about our democracy. The reality is, we were not supposed to be a democracy. We are supposed to be a republic. Republics do a much better job at protecting the minority and holding corrupt leaders accountable than democracies do. But, Democrats have largely won this battle in the language of every day Americans. Soon to follow their line of thinking is a president elected by popular vote, and by that same thinking, laws also decided by popular opinion, and ultimately, religious practices decided by what the majority will 'tolerate.'
 

"one nation, under God, indivisible"

Few people today believe the United States is united in anything. When the decision was made in 1954 to add the words, "Under God," it was the height of the Cold War and the American people recognized the need to separate our nation from godless communism.  Adding the words "Under God," has done nothing to bring this country into line with God. It was added merely as a political tool; a political statement to say that we are different from 'them.' In Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow the 9th District Court ruled that this phrase, "Under God," was unconstitutional. Newdow was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2004. The Supreme Court ended up overturning this decision based not on the constitutionality of the phrase, "Under God," but on the technicality that the man who brought the suit did not have standing to sue. In the meantime, "God" as He was previously known in America was rendered into the abyss of animism. "How could God be religious?" asked the lawyers. "God is everywhere, across all religions." America, in using the name of God in vain, for political purposes, cursed herself to omnism.

"with liberty and justice for all."

Liberty for all? Justice for all? It would seem that our justice system is setup for the best justice money can buy. If one can afford a good enough attorney, they can make years in jail vanish with a few dollars. True justice can't look the other way at computer servers under subpoena being destroyed and cell phones under investigation, wiped. I've arrested people delivering a 1/2 ounce of marijuana that got five years. I've arrested other people delivering a 1/2 ounce of meth and they got probation. Justice is hard to come by in the land of the . . . whatever we are. In America, liberty is only recognized if it aligns with the view of the majority. Liberty is a phantom if you live in a democracy where you are a minority. Liberty is a fantasy if you live in a nation governed by the relative whims of the elite. Liberty is a vague idea when all truth is relative. Without God, there can be no liberty.

A pledge or a lie?

Do we lie to ourselves every time we say the pledge? 

Are we a republic?

Are we one nation?

Are we under God?

Are we indivisible?

Is there liberty?

Is there justice?

Either make it so, or quit lying to your kids, America.