NBC Apologizes To Congress For 'Under God' Edit

By Jack Jenkins
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS) NBC has issued a formal apology to more than 100 members of Congress for omitting the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance during a patriotic montage that aired last month.

The letter, signed by Kyle McSlarrow, president of NBC Universal, comes in response to a complaint by 107 members of Congress alleging that a montage shown during coverage of the U.S. Open golf tournament obscured America's religious heritage.

The montage featured video of schoolchildren saying the pledge alongside images of soldiers and American flags, but did not include the phrase "under God." It also omitted "one nation" and "indivisible."

McSlarrow expressed regret over the segment, saying "a serious error in judgment was made by a small group of people. To be absolutely clear, this was not an ideological decision by the company and was not discussed with or approved by any senior NBC official."

The letter also stressed that action had been taken, noting, "The employees involved have been reprimanded. And we have already implemented a new checks and balances process for pre-produced pieces, ensuring that nothing will go on the air without senior-level approval."

The letter was addressed to Reps. Randy Forbes, R-Va., and Mike McIntyre D-N.C., who co-chair the Congressional Prayer Caucus, but was also sent to more than 100 other members of Congress.

Comments

[charlot]

12:20 PM on 07/15/2011

Hmm...I've been a fan of "Everybody Loves Raymond" for quite some time now, but you know what? The family in that sitcom doesn't pray before they eat dinner! Why are they bashing my religious freedom like this??? How can they take away my right to worship?

I can't decide whether to just boycott, or to sue. Trouble is, the show is in syndication now, so I wouldn't know where to begin (do I boycott/sue my local TV station, or the network that originally aired it?) . I know, I'll just pray for guidance....

[imtheknife]

08:30 AM on 07/15/2011

Holy Crap.

First of all, the phrase 'one nation' ABSOLUTELY IS IN THE VIDEO. The article was wrong to claim it was also omitted. All that was left out was 'under god, indivisible'.

The comments here are ridiculous, and I see some people (Christians) accusing we atheists of trying to 'take away your right to worship'.
If you think that, then you clearly have no idea what 'rights' are, or how any of the related laws work, or about the U.S. Constitution, or logic in general.
What really happens is that YOU FOLKS try to take away our right NOT TO PRAY.

If you think children NEED instructor-led prayer in school (for example) in order to find 'guidance', then you should probably get in touch with an adoption agency about making a deposit, because you're not parenting.

[charlot]

12:01 PM on 07/15/2011

...and since when do people "worship" via their TVs, anyway? Aren't they supposed to be doing that sort of thing in church? Why does religion need to permeate every faction of our society??? This is but one of the many reasons the rest of the world laughs at us.

[Leslie Moss]

05:53 AM on 07/14/2011

They not only need to apologize to congress, but The people of the United States also!!

[ardethbay]

08:02 AM on 07/14/2011

They need to apologize to noone. Get over it. It was written without the reference, but the Godgang forced it in. Now it is slowly on the way to being phased out.

[Ekimus]

08:32 AM on 07/14/2011

No. Those in Congress that made a stink over this instead of doing their job need to apologize to the American people. They, in their capacity as representatives of the people, are not supposed to promote religion.

[nikitty20]

01:31 AM on 07/14/2011

oh no... they let the atheists get to them again. leave the pledge alone! putting God in the pledge won't hurt anyone its been in there for years. theyre just gonna have to get use to hearing GOD(even though they think they feel burning sensations all over whenever they hear the Lord's name) after all the vast majority in this country are believers. forget all the Atheist Extremists, they'll be okay.

[ardethbay]

07:59 AM on 07/14/2011

It won't hurt to take it ouy either.

[Impulss]

11:05 AM on 07/14/2011

I suppose those who wrote the Pledge are Athiest Extremist as well? They didn't put God in the Pledge, either. That wouldn't come until 1954. So my grandfather grew up not having Under God in the pledge, we became a mighty nation, won WWII, etc etc, before the addition was made. How did THAT happen???

[BlueIndependent]

12:54 AM on 07/14/2011

As usual, a media outlet is feared by the few into going back on what was a rather appropriate display. To hell with the US's religious heritage. We are a secular nation with many citizens that happen to be religious, not a religious nation with a few secular malcontents. I'm sick and tired of this point being lost on the body politic, because it's to their great detriment if they forget. Mike McIntyre should know better; I expect this sort of thing from republicans. But, it's an easy opportunity for a Dem who is at least spineless on this issue, to look big and tough with a republican by signing yet another chicken-little resolution to scream someone into submission for daring to disregard someone else's unearned privilege. This stuff always beats cooler heads to the punch because sane people don't get animated about meaningless crap like "under god" being uttered on national television. It takes the busy bodies and the curators of the special double standard to shoot themselves out of a cannon over perceived infractions against their adopted persecution complex.

I think it's time people thank NBC for airing what they did the first time, and shaming them out of their apology. I hope I'm wrong when I say I doubt that will happen.

[tlee47ftw]

09:59 PM on 07/13/2011

I have quite a collection of both US and state flags and I fly one all the time. When the pledge is recited, I stand at attention and place my hand, or hat, over my heart. But I do not recite the pledge. I am not going to be made to pray in order to show my partiotism by any right wing jesus freaks.

[Doyle Perry]

11:32 PM on 07/13/2011

What are you saying? That the left-wing jesus freaks are okay?

[tlee47ftw]

09:52 PM on 07/13/2011

The new religious right Pledge of Allegiance: "god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, god, guns, flag."

[Doyle Perry]

11:34 PM on 07/13/2011

You are a vicious, hate-filled liar. This argument has nothing to do with political parties. You have no call to attack conservatives. Attack the issue. I am a conservative, yet on this issue, we are on the same side. I have not attacked the superstitious wackos as being either conservative or liberal. There are religious wackos on both sides. Just as you are a non-religious wacko.

[tlee47ftw]

09:11 PM on 07/14/2011

I'm sorry but look at the record. What party is it always pushing that nonsense? When the shoe fits, you've got to wear it. There are a few exceptions on each side, but in general it is the conservatives that fight for those issues. And it has everything to do with political parties.

[LeftRight]

10:09 AM on 07/15/2011

You forgot to include "no gays!"

[tlee47ftw]

11:04 AM on 07/15/2011

Dadgummit! Thanks for pointing that out. It is obviously an imperfect pledge without that in there.

[D-Barger]

09:42 PM on 07/13/2011

This pledge has been changed four times.

Let's go for five.

[bch444]

06:47 PM on 07/13/2011

I have a better idea---how about congress concentrating on the financial mess we are in instead of taking offense when none was meant.

[tlee47ftw]

10:00 PM on 07/13/2011

Oh no. They have to kiss the butts of the religious right. That's their most important job.

[LintLass]

06:34 PM on 07/13/2011

You know, they want to coerce people to pray to their God or else be called 'Disloyal Americans,' however much they *mean* the pledge of allegiance, without an 'under God' qualifier meant to say, 'Unless my preacher says otherwise,' ....

But I've been forced to appear to sbe saying things I didn't mean before.... Not just parts of the pledge of Allegiance I mumbled over, but other things.

"Out further, where art is heathen
Hollowed tree my Dame
Why finger stung, my hill be some
Of dirt that I will be saving.
Shiver with rage, flower gaily shed
And give just hours' press passes
That bleed the sots in the same nation,
Sl**, reliver medieval again.'

You really wanna make people say things they don't mean, Christians?

I'm not seeing it helping loyalty.

[McKayla]

08:48 PM on 07/13/2011

The point is not that people should always say "under God" in the pledge, but that NBC (or parts of the NBC staff) purposefully omited that part and others of the pledge when airing a recital of it. They left out words that were intended to be included, and thereby changed the overall meaning expressed. Similarly, if I edit your last 2 statements to fit a different idea than you wanted to express, it could say this...

"You really... say things they... mean, Christians."

"I'm... seeing it help-... loyalty."

[LeftRight]

08:54 PM on 07/13/2011

First, we don't know that it was purposeful.

Second, they ALSO cut out "One Nation" and "Indivisible" Maybe they were being in favor of states' rights and just thought it sounded weird to say "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, under god, with liberty and justice for all".... think about that one sparky?

[tlee47ftw]

09:37 PM on 07/13/2011

"under god" is a phrase, set off by commas that the pledge did quite well without for half a century. Your argument is ridiculous.

[ThomasQuinn]

05:40 PM on 07/13/2011

This tempest in a teapot ignores the fact that "under God" was not inserted into the Pledge until 1954 in an act of anti-communist showboating, and that America's "Greatest Generation" grew up saying the Pledge without "under God" in it. The man who wrote the original Pledge in 1892, Francis Bellamy (a Baptist minister and Christian socialist), did not include the words because he understood that pledging allegiance to the country was different than pledging allegiance to God. The Pledge was first published in the popular magazine, The Youth's Companion, as part of a National Education Association campaign to fly a flag over every schoolyard in America in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' first voyage. Not coincidentally, The Youth's Companion was also in the business of selling...flags. Bellamy's own granddaughter said her grandfather would have opposed inserting "under God" into the pledge. http://TRQuinn.com

[tlee47ftw]

09:35 PM on 07/13/2011

You are going to confuse them with facts. They are not used to them. It's all emotion with them.

[charlot]

12:13 PM on 07/15/2011

You're absolutely right. It was the 1954 version of that ridiculous "Freedom Fries" thing that our brilliant Congress started because the French (rightly) opposed our illegal invastion of Iraq. Unfortunately, the flag nonsense stuck.

[charlot]

11:07 AM on 07/16/2011

Oops. That's "invasion." I need to proof-read.

[whatsit2yadudes]

05:27 PM on 07/13/2011

And now for a rousing rendition of, Kumbaya...

[mpsbh]

05:23 PM on 07/13/2011

How many of you out there actually believe that there will ever be a total seperation between church and state? Let me see a show of hands.......o.k......sooo none. That's what I thought. So why then is everybody (the atheist) making a big deal out of something that will never change?

[RAmen69]

05:26 PM on 07/13/2011

because you simply don't "get it"

[mpsbh]

05:29 PM on 07/13/2011

Then please feel free to explain it to me.

[stormsun]

05:38 PM on 07/13/2011

I believe it. It will take a while, but it will happen. Note that I am not saying there will be no religion in the U.S., nor do I want that. I want you to have the rights you currently enjoy - to believe and worship as you see fit - and for me and every other American to have those same rights. In order to be fair and impartial to all, I would indeed like to see the continuation (even if it is not complete) separation between church and state, as envisioned by many of our wise founders, most notably Thomas Jefferson, who viewed this as one of his crowning achievements. Look up his self-penned epitaph if you think me wrong.

No one wants to take away your rights to worship as you please. Why do YOU want to infringe upon the rights of others? Or do you?

[mpsbh]

03:17 PM on 07/14/2011

I have absolutely no intention of infringing upon the rights of others.

[LintLass]

05:11 PM on 07/13/2011

Hey..... I got an idea! How bout.... Americans, Christian, right-wing, not, atheists, Jews, Pagans, like myself, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, .... How bout we *all* pledge some kind of allegiance to each other as a nation, irrrespective of anyone trying to use religion as a 'test' for loyal citizenship, but instead pledge to stand together to uphold not only our own, but each others's freedoms and general welfare, such that we might secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity?

It's a crazy idea... but it just might work, Scooby.

Anyone game?

[Funkstronaut]

05:07 PM on 07/13/2011

"Then stop trying to take away our right to worship God." -mpsbh

OK... All of you who are trying to take mpsbh's right to worship God away, come out. I want to know who you are.

[mpsbh]

05:15 PM on 07/13/2011

Gosh you're funny funk.
You act as if that's not what's happening. It is, but it isn't working. As NBC proved.

[Funkstronaut]

05:17 PM on 07/13/2011

Can you explain HOW this is taking away your right to worship your God?

[LeftRight]

08:56 PM on 07/13/2011

But it's NOT what's happening dipstick! NOBODY is telling you to stop believing in god, we're simply saying to stop trying to force US to believe in your god!