Essay On Freedom Of Religion

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What is freedom of religion? Today people speak freely about their own views over specific topics regarding what they believe and what they think is the truth. Along with everything in life there are limits and laws that the government of the United States has established. Let’s take a look at the definition of freedom, what the government says about our freedom, how it is acted out and portrayed in America, and a few case studies regarding freedom of religion. The Bill of Rights includes several amendments describing the rights the people have as well as the things that are prohibited in our nation. The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for the redress of grievances.”(U.S. Const. amend. I) Out of the five freedoms, religion, speech, press, assemble, and petition; religion is the specific one that deals with beliefs. What is the definition of religion? According to the dictionary, the definition of religion is “the belief in a god, service and worship of God or the supernatural, and commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.” (Merriam-Webster, 2014) There are two parts to the freedom of religion that the First Amendment refers to: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. The establishment clause forbids the government from declaring a specific religion for the state and supporting any laws that are biased regarding a religion. Every law or clause has standards and this specific clause has been challenged in court numerous times. This clause implicates a div... ... middle of paper ... ... Sunday often come across people that request Sundays off or a certain day of the week off in order to participate in a religious activity. They are required to work with the employee’s schedule to allow them to go to church or attend whatever ceremony they believe in. (Cross & Miller, 2012, p. 510) The Pledge of Allegiance is an oath that was originally created to honor the Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America. The very first Pledge of Allegiance did not contain the religious words “under God.” These words were added by Congress later on in 1954 when the Cold War was going on, in order to point out the difference between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was added and still currently reads: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” (Lipka, 2013)

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