Civic Saturdays Comes To Pennsylvania
By Bob Small
Civic Saturdays comes to Pennsylvania starting 7 p.m., On Saturday, April 23, at Wake Forest Junior Senior High School, in Tionesta. They are the brainchild of Citizen University, started by Eric Liu of The Aspen Institute and we learned about it from Ken Krawchuk of The Pennsylvania Project.
Civic Saturdays are secular events but intentionally echo the structure of faith-based gatherings and include a sermon, songs, and readings, followed by a social hour, according to those involved.
There is a leftward tinge to these activities as befits The Aspen Institute, but all political belief systems are invited, according to organizers.
On the other hand, there is a leftward tinge to The Aspen Institute.
To give you an idea of what to expect at any of the four events in Pennsylvania here’s the “Sworn Again American Oath”
“I pledge to be an active American
To show up for others
To govern myself
to help govern my community
I recommit myself to my country’s creed
To cherish liberty as a responsibility
I pledge to serve and to push my country
When right, to be kept right; when wrong to be set right
Wherever my ancestors and I were born, I claim America,
And I pledge to live like a citizen”
There are echoes of other voices, including Carl Schurz, maybe the first to say;
“My country right or wrong: if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right”. Why a Sworn Again American Oath when we have the Pledge of Allegiance, etc. is a mystery, though this does include “when wrong to be set right”, which should also be the duty of a Patriot, one would think. This is a non-deistic alternative. Though the founding fathers were all deists, that no longer applies to the population as a whole.
Some other stories
Sworn Again: Americans Recommit To A Civic Creed
https://www.forbes.com › sites › ashoka › 2020/04/23
How To Fix Declining Trust In Elections And The News Media
https://www.audacy.com › … › Consider This from NP
And, of course, we have to trust NYT
Opinion | Preaching Faith in Democracy – The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com › 2019/07/02 ›
Civic Saturdays Comes To Pennsylvania
