Okay - first and foremost (and I've read through this thread from beginning to end) God is who or what you as a person make it. Even in the established and controlling (yes I said controlling) religions like all of the branches of Christianity and Buddhism or Islam or whatnot you have a god... Alah, Buddha or the Holy Trinity or whatever you want to call it - it's still a higher power and it's still looked upon as a god (even if he/she was in human form at one time). To say that god is a Christian thing is not entirely true. I myself do believe in a higher power - it's called Nature. But that's neither here nor there, and as far as I'm concerned each to his/her own. I have no problem whatsoever with a certain religion - just don't force it down my throat and respect my beliefs as I respect yours. And if you don't have a belief that's your choice - don't ever let someone tell you you're missing out on something... they're wrong unless you like being controlled and manipulated (sorry - just a bit of a rant).
As far as the pledge goes, in high school I did try the whole "you can't make me say it" approach and I ended up suspended for it (I did stand for it and I am patriotic, but that didn't mean I felt I had to say it out loud). Granted the suspension was struck from my record after a heated debate, but I was still punished for taking a stand. I can understand why kids would just go along with it to keep the peace. I chose not to say it because of my budding beliefs (or lack thereof) and not because some idiot told me I shouldn't have to say it. What you say, the words that come out of your mouth or that you put on paper, are yours and should come from you - not someone else.
The pledge is part of our heritage and rightfully so. To change it would be like trying to change the constitution... like trying to change history. What needs to be done is allow people to have a CHOICE and a VOICE. Which is what this country was originally founded on. At this point in time we do not have a choice and even less of a voice. If we choose not to say the pledge we run the risk of being ostracized, beaten or killed (and I know that's a bit over the top, but it's still a possibility - especially where I live in the gun wielding, bible thumping, good ol' boy south).
I guess what I'm trying to say is that as a society we tend to feel like the power to be ourselves has been taken out of our hands. Our rights have been changed from "you have the right to..." to "You DON'T have the right to..." and that's sad and wrong.
Now that I've had a little time on my soap box I feel a bit better - and I'm not ashamed of anything I've said as it is my opinion with a little fact thrown in here and there... and that is as it should be.