NOTICE!

Welcome...

We are a coalition of secular, humanist, nontheist, and skeptic groups across North Carolina who have come together to bring you a patriotic message; we are "one nation indivisible."

We are your friends and family, your neighbors and co-workers. Whether you are religious or not we ask you to help end official discrimination and personal prejudice against your secular neighbors because of what we believe... or don't believe.

The inspiring words "one nation indivisible" is the way the original Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892. It defined the nation as a melting pot to which people from all backgrounds and beliefs could contribute. No American was excluded in that statement.

When the phrase "under God" was inserted into the Pledge in 1954, it was a direct and deliberate insult to all Americans who do not believe in a monotheistic God and all Americans who believe in the founding ideals of this country not to establish religion.

It is ironic -- and sad -- that the words "under God" were used to divide the indivisible.

Two years later, in 1956, Congress passed an act to adopt a new national motto, this motto would supersede our former de facto national motto, the motto that our founders had given us, the motto that had served this nation well for over 150 years. Instead of the all-inclusive "E Pluribus Unum" -- Latin for "Out of Many, One" -- our new national motto became "In God We Trust," which again excludes anyone that doesn't believe in a monotheistic God.

Sadly, North Carolina takes this discrimination further. The North Carolina state constitution bars state office to "any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God." Recently, Christian activists have used this provision to try to question a duly elected Asheville City Councilperson's right to hold office. This is not only close-minded and malicious, it is unconstitutional. (The U.S. Constitution states that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust.")

If you are not religious we hope you will join us so we can speak more loudly with one voice. But even if you are religious we hope you will support our effort to end official discrimination by reverting to the original Pledge of Allegiance and U.S. motto and removing laws like the unconstitutional one on North Carolina's books.

It's time for all North Carolinians, including those who are religious and nonreligious, to work together to help America live up to those ideals, "one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

For original Press Releases by location, please click HERE.

For more information about the "One Nation Indivisible" campaign, please click HERE.

For more information about any of the issues above, please check out our "Reference" page HERE.

For the media coverage of this campaign, please click HERE.

Christians try to remove atheist from City Council in NC

John F. Kennedy On The Separation Of Church And State