Gay 'Star Trek' Actor Omits 'Under God' From Pledge of Allegiance

"Star Trek" actor George Takei appeared on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" over the weekend, where he spoke about gay rights. During the discussion, he quoted a portion of the "Pledge of Allegiance," but he left out a few key words.

"Well, when I pledge allegiance to the United States, I say, 'One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," he said, referring to the states where same-sex marriage is now legal. "One-third of the nation now has equality. Now, we have to work on the other two-thirds, so we're keeping our sleeves rolled up."

Naturally, this is curious, because the Pledge actually reads, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Takei omitted "under God" -- a contentious portion of the recitation, but an essential part of it nonetheless ("under God" was added to the Pledge by various groups in the late 1940s and early 1950s; it was officially adopted by Congress in 1954).

Host Ed Schultz didn't recognize the removal of the words, as the two continued their discussion about gay marriage.

Watch the segment, below:

Takei also targeted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has pledged to veto any gay marriage legislation that crosses his desk. Speaking out against this action and against those who seemingly mix church and state, the actor detailed his First Amendment beliefs.

"Well, they have to understand that there is a strict demarcation between the separation of church and state," Takai said. "We are Buddhists, and we understand we can't write our faith values into civil law which applies to everybody. What they don't understand is that, if they want respect for their faith, they have to respect the many, many different faiths in this country."

What do you think about Takai's comments? Was his removal of "under God" intentional and based on this First Amendment worldview -- or was it accidental? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

(H/T: NewsBusters)

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