Next to the Bible and guns, Jesus loving, atheist hating, conservative Christians fetishize the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. Any attempts to take the phrase "Under God" (added in the 50's at the behest of the Catholic Knights of Columbus) from the Pledge are seen as treasonous. But lawsuits involving "Under God" are red meat for Fox News which, in covering them, gets to push patriotism and the popular Fox meme about how evil atheists are ruining it for patriotic, Christian Americans. Yesterday, Peter Johnson Jr. and Steve Doocy were close to tears about a Massachusetts lawsuit in which the atheist plaintiffs are contesting that "Under God" is discriminatory towards atheists. Not surprisingly, some of the good Christians on Fox's "The Five" sold some of that red meat which, as usual, was pretty rancid.

Yesterday, Bob Beckel reported that earlier in the day, the Massachusetts Supreme Court heard the above cited case. He played video of the plaintiff's lawyer making the claim that the Pledge predicates national loyalty via religious indoctrination and thereby "invalidates atheism" as "downright unpatriotic." Several of the panel members then proceeded to prove his point!

Beckel noted that what the lawyer didn't say was that you don't have to say the Pledge if you don't want to. Dana Perino said that she was "tired of them" and recounted how, when she worked in the Justice Department, a similar lawsuit "came through" and before the day ended, the Congress passed a resolution to keep "under God" in the Pledge. She said that "our representatives have spoken again and again, and if these people don't like it, they don't have to live here." (Same could be said for all those Christians who oppose abortion and gay marriage?)

Beckel said, "that's a good point" and asked if anybody knew when the phrase was added or whether it was original. Patriot Eric Bolling responded that it was added but "it doesn't matter." He made the patented and specious right wing argument about how "in God we trust" is on the currency - another thing that was added in the 20th century. He asked if the atheists want this removed or would the attorney "choose not to take US currency."

Beckel tossed to Gutfeld who, according to Beckel, attends daily mass. Gutfeld said that the Pledge isn't a prayer but "a patriotic exercise that's basically saying thanks for giving us the freedom to be an atheist." (Uh, if you're thanking a deity, that's kind of a prayer). He added that the USA is "one of those countries where you don't get killed if you don't adhere to whatever belief system they're forcing down your throat say in certain countries that we don't mention." (Wonder if Greg knows that the most atheist countries are the happiest?) Perino asked "if you don't believe, why do you care?" (Uh, because you don't appreciate Christianity being shoved down your throat."

Gutfeld blithered about how atheism isn't an extreme idea and "it's called religious faith for a reason because you have faith and the only way you can have faith is if there is no faith to compare it to." (WTF?) When he started to say that he understood that atheists are a minority, Kimberley Guilfoyle asked "why should they be catered to" and "why are they so special?" She shouted that she found it "offensive that a few people, these children are pawns for their parents [like kids who accompany their parents who scream in front of abortion clinics?] political statements and beliefs to try and force it on everybody else [like the religious right trying to bring back school prayer?] and inflict their beliefs [like abortion restrictions and denial of gay rights] systems." She described these atheists as "incredibly selfish, small minded, and I don't think the court should cater to them because there is no good reason to do so." [so atheists don't have a right to file suit in an American court?]

Beckel referenced how the Salem witch trials were about intolerance towards those who were non-religious. He got in a zinger on Kimberley with the comment that he wouldn't have prosecuted her for that or "any of your five husbands." She huffed that she only had two. [hope she stays away from that Communion rail!]

So there you go, atheists are intolerant and if you don't like the Pledge, you can leave the country which, as far as I know, still allows diversity of beliefs and still has a court system for those who disagree. Talk about invalidation of a belief and denigration of patriotism!! Welcome to the bizarro world of "The Five."

Video here