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Pledge of allegiance and first amendment essay
Pledge of allegiance and first amendment essay
Pledge of allegiance and first amendment essay
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Many students all across America stand and salute to the flag every morning and repeat these words, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, To the republic for which it stands, one nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” There are controversy behind these words of historical allegiance, and that is why many people are refusing to stand for the pledge. This nation was founded upon freedom and liberties, and with those liberties comes with the freedom to choose your religion. The words “Under God” have in some way established that Christianity is the official religion of the United States, and for the sake of maintaining our status as a truly free nation, the words “Under God” in the Pledge …show more content…
He submitted his pledge to the Youth’s Company hoping that people in any country could show their patriotism. His original pledge said, “ I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Intending for this to be a world wide pledge of allegiance there was no reference, to any specific religion. In 1942, the pledge became part of the US Flag Code, but it wasn’t until 1954 that president Eisenhower and Congress agreed to incorporate “Under God.” The phrase “Under God” implies that the United States has an established religion. Stated in the first amendment of the constitution, “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 a redress of grievances.” (The Declaration of Independence: Full Text). It is my belief that it is unconstitutional to incorporate “Under God” into the Allegiance, because it establishes a …show more content…
This country was founded upon the Judo-Christian Faith and the our four fathers who created our government were true believers. In establishing this great nation, they understood the inherent rights that God, their Creator, gave to all men. Within these rights given to all citizens, there is a statement that reads, ”that all men were created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” (The Declaration of Independence: Full Text) They are endowed by their creator is referring to a divine power such as God. This nation was built upon faith and it often helped out in hard times such as, the attack on pearl harbor, as well as 9/11. Both tragic days in our society where faith and hope have been relevant in bringing this nation together as
In the Declaration of Independence references to God are made in four spots. The drafters of the Declaration would refer to “nature’s God” and inalienable rights which the “Creator” recognizing that natural rights were only a result of the Divinity (Declaration of Independence, Greene, p. 298). However, most Americans were not mere deists; they were a Christian people who believed in an active God. Thus in the conclusion the Declaration refers to the “Supreme Judge” and “Divine Providence” (Declaration of Independence, Greene, p. 300). This belief in religion, which of the time was primarily Protestant Calvinism, explains the method of civil resistance pursued in North
... Since its inception, the Pledge of Allegiance has been and is still used as a sign of respect to the country instead of a religious practice.
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
Gwen Wilde wrote an essay on “Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should be Revised.” In this essay, Gwen believes that the words “under God” should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. Gwen informs us that the original Pledge did not include “under God” and the words were not added until 1942, therefore, the words can easily be removed. Although some changes have been made to make it clear that the Pledge of Allegiance is for the United States Gwen believes that the words “under God” do not show any support for our country and only make those who do not believe in God feel uncomfortable. Therefore, Gwen believes that “under God” is not appropriate for the Pledge and does not show that we are a Nation that is “indivisible.”
For hundreds of years Americans have been growing up with the notion that it is a right to own a gun. Since the creation of the second amendment, people all over the United States have been able to guns for private use. Guns operated by the public are said to have a variety of uses such as, being able to protect oneself if conflict arises, grants the ability to put food on the table, and are used in competitions shooting targets against other people. But for many people guns have been seen as the root of all evil. Anti-gun users think that guns cause a variety of unexpected and innocent deaths. They also think that there are not enough laws in place that allow just about anyone to purchase a gun. The question of should guns be legal to all citizens has plagued our society. Do you think it is morally right for anyone to arm themselves and use it when they deem it to be necessary? Or do you think that the 2rd amendment seem unnecessary and outdated law that needs to be rewritten? These questions are just two of many that have thrown back and forth between pro-gun and anti-gun users.
The Pledge of Allegiance has become a major issue for students, teachers, parents and lawmakers. The original intention of the pledge was not to stir up trouble, but for a celebration of Christopher Columbus discovery of the new world. The pledge is no longer thought of as a celebration, but an infringement on children's religious beliefs. Do you believe that children's rights are being infringed on? Some people believe that the pledge is a great honor for our country. It has shown, and provided us with great pride just like our American flag. The Pledge of Allegiance being recited in the public school system does not infringe on the students religious beliefs, but is a way for us to honor our country and everything that we have done to get to this point in history.
I’ve lol been standing for the pledge of allegiance since I was in elementary and never really understood why. Freedom of speech, you say what you want, when you want, and how you want to. It’s your right to stand up or not. “People die for our country.” “Sign of respect for the country we live in.” “Take pride in being an American.” How can we be proud to be American if it only brings negative stereotypes to everyone’s head, it has never been what it preaches to be. Being American is actually embarrassing. Just because I was born here doesn 't mean I have undying loyalty to America, being American means nothing to me, to be truthful.
The Star Spangled Banner is a sacred song in the United States of America. It not only is a symbol of the fight that soldiers have had to go through, but also a representation of freedom. When the National Anthem plays out of respect for our country, and those who fought for it, everyone is supposed to stand and remove their hats. Currently in the National Football League (NFL) there is a handful of players, mainly African Americans, that have been taking a knee or raising a fist during the play of our National Anthem. This I believe, is a great sign of disrespect for our country and our veterans. This I believe, is very immature and unnecessary. This I believe, should be put to a stop by the NFL and the players should be ashamed of himself for doing this. I am aware that the players have the right to do this, but there are many reasons why this should not be taking place.
Before analyzing the above described controversy, we must first examine the history of the Pledge itself. Written by Francis Bellamy, it was originally titled the “Pledge to the Flag” and was created in the late 1800’s to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It originally read: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all” (McCarthy, 2005). Changes were later made to include the words “of the United States” and “of America” to indicate which flag was being referenced. The final changes to the Pledge came in 1954 when it officially became titled the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the words “under God” were added after “one nation.” This addition to the Pledge was meant to support the United States as a religious nation. While signing the law to put this change into effect, President Eisenhower said, “In this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war” (McCarthy, 2005).
First, I would like to talk about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people today recite the Pledge of Allegiance but do not know the history that took place behind it. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written more than a century ago. The original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all . The flag serves as a symbol of our country and its proud traditions of freedom and equal opportunity. In the 1920s, the National Flag Conferences replaced the phrase “my Flag” with “the Flag of the United States of America.” In 1954, Communist threats occurred causing Congress to add the words under God to the pledge. Then 12 years later, Congress reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance and added the words “Under God .” While reciting the Pledge of Allegiance it should be recited by standing placing your
He recognizes that the controversial phrase only contains two words but explains that the combination of the preposition “under” implies that God holds some sort of power and authority over a whole nation. If one nation is under God, as the Pledge of Allegiance states, then that must imply that there is only one God “and if there is only one God, then the God of the pledge is the one true God” (Rourke, p.41). This conclusive reasoning entails that all other supposed gods around the world are false gods. Thus it is clear to see that the government is in definite violation of the first amendment by relaying preference for a certain God and thus a certain
The first amendment is the cornerstone of our American society founded years ago by our forefathers. Without the first amendment many ideas, beliefs, and groups could not exist today. The first amendment guaranteed the people of the United States the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition. Although the first amendment guarantees us, Americans the freedom of speech, we cannot use it to cause others harm. This amendment has helped shaped Americans into what we are today, because of our right to assemble, speak freely, and worship as we please.
In the year 1776, the United States of America was founded. “The idea that the United States is a 'Christian nation,' has always been central to American identity.” (Forbes, Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?) Since 1954, after President Eisenhower insisted Congress to add “Under God” into The Pledge of Allegiance, it is an American tradition to salute the American flag with this phrase: “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.” (American Flag Pledge of Allegiance) The phrase “Under God” bothers many Americans who do not believe in God, but if America was founded on Christian faith, why take the phrase
First off, our nation was found by Christians that embedded their beliefs into their work in founding this Christian nation. The founders added a system of checks and balances from the understanding “…if men were angels, no government would be necessary” (America is a Christian Nation). A majority of the founders were in fact, Christian. Over 80% of the founders held a belief in a denomination, or section under, the Christian Church. There are constitutional religious references such as “In God We Trust” and “…one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” and are considered constitutional because they were accepted by our founding fathers and written into the constitution. These are not even required to be respected but they come across as constitutional.
...r our currency. The motto “In God We Trust” wasn’t added until the 1860’s during the Civil War. If these situations in our country hadn’t become present when they did, would our country base its beliefs and freedoms in the hands of God?