I decided long ago that I would not teach my children to pledge to the flag. I will more than likely have them learn it as part of American history. However, my oldest, though not quite six years old, already knows how I feel about it.

One day, while driving her to preschool, I asked if they say The Pledge of Allegiance each day. She confirmed.

I said, “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. I don’t think it is something God likes for us to do because Jesus told us not to make oaths.”

But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply “Yes” or “No”; anything more than this comes from evil. –Matthew 5:34-37

That afternoon, her teacher approached me and informed me that Raine got upset when she had to stand for The Pledge. Inside, I was thinking, “It’s only preschool and I’ve already become ‘THAT MOM.’” You know, the one who has an opinion about everything. The control freak. My daughter doesn’t know an oath from a hole in the wall and I’ve gotten her in trouble.

“Yeah…” I said to her teacher, “I told her she didn’t have to say the pledge.”

“I told her she had to at least stand up to show respect.”

“That’s fair.”

Now, I must add that my husband thinks I’m nuts. I’ve explained it to him like this:

If a person is a true Christian, she will honor her country and the authorities to the amount they deserve without pledging anything. If the government has her do something against God, she will choose God over her country. So what’s the point in making a pledge- especially when Jesus told us not to?