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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 …show more content…
out of the Pledge of Allegiance?” There is no law that forces everyone to recite the pledge, therefore revising it is unnecessary. March 14, 2001, Michael Newdow, an atheist, filed a lawsuit against Elk Grove Unified School District because his daughter was being taught to recite the pledge every morning at school. Eventually, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Pledge was unconstitutional. Although in 2004 the Pledge Protection Act was passed, many Americans disagree and continue to force a revision of the pledge. In 2005, Newdow filed another lawsuit, this time, including three other families. After the district court ruled the Pledge constitutional, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that it was constitutional. They overlooked the historical aspectsNewdow argued, "We have a democratic process, and Johnson 2 the majority should do whatever it wants.
But when we're talking about fundamental constitutional rights, we're in a different ballgame. In those situations, it doesn't matter what the majority wants. If the majority wants to enslave blacks, too bad. You can't do it. If the majority wants to have the government implicating a religious belief, too bad. You can't do it. (Our Constitution) doesn't allow you to." (Top 10 Pros and Cons) Many like Newdow argue that America has patriotism and religion confused, implying that the pledge is unconstitutional. Many even dispute on Christian’s spirituality, arguing that since it is allowed for unbelievers to falsely proclaim God, Christian’s are hypocrites for putting God’s into the pledge. Since the First Amendment states “freedom of religion,” many say the pledge of allegiance contradicts it. Five states, Vermont, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Iowa and Wyoming, have all passed a bill omitting the schools of reciting the pledge. “Under God” is looked at as forced religions on the ones who do not believe in God, causing an uprise, especially in the northern states. Non-theist parents do not want their children forced to say the pledge at all, implying that if their children question the existence of God, why do they have to forcefully acknowledge Him? This practice also causes some children to feel “left out” or being labeled as a protestor, therefore, taking “Under God” out of the pledge completely is looked at as a more than beneficial
idea. Although there are many Americans who do not believe in God or question His existence, taking “Under God” out of a 61 year old American tradition is unnecessary. Since America was founded on Christian faith, it is only right to keep the Pledge of Allegiance as is. The words, “Under God,” is still as relevant today as it was back then. America was built and founded on the foundations of Christian faith. Our Forefathers who created our government were men who believed in God and believed that it was and has always been God who divinely gave all humans equal rights. America is a free country. When people think of America, the words liberty, integrity, and most importantly, freedom are what describes America the most. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, it says “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” America has the Spirit of the Lord, so Americans are allowed to be free. On the Jefferson Memorial, Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?” The Constitution does state that all humans have equal rights and that includes freedom of speech and freedom of religion. If one does not believe in God, one is not obligated to recite the pledge. There is no law stating that if one does not recite this pledge, there will be legal actions. Therefore, no one is obligated to practice this act of patriotism. Taking the pledge completely out of school is one extreme, however, revising the pledge for the entire nation completely destroys the foundation America was built on. The divine principles that all men before and after America’s Forefather’s would become meaningless to all Americans. No, all Americans are not Christians and do not have the same beliefs as another, but if one expects 318,000,000 people to disregard their beliefs for only a small percent of unbelievers in God, there should be the same level of respect vice versa. Whether someone believes in God or not, America was and still is “a nation under God.” It is a belief and a phrase recited for many years and taking it out would be wiping the foundation from under America. Not all Americans are Christians. While 83 percent of Americans claim Christianity, only 13 percent claim no religion at all (abcnews.go.com) The Supreme Court acknowledges the importance in keeping “Under God” in the pledge because it is majority rules. Freedom of Religion is an equal right to all man, given by God. If you do not believe in God, then you are not obligated to practice the rituals a believer practices. Also, Freedom of Speech is an equal right given to all man. Taking both sides of this right into consideration clarifies that no one should feel obligated to say the pledge. Justly, America’s Constitution is written in accordance to what is fair to everyone
After the Revolution, the country was left in an economic crisis and struggling for a cohesive path moving forward. The remaining financial obligations left some Founding Fathers searching for ways to create a stronger more centralized government to address concerns on a national level. The thought was that with a more centralized, concentrated governing body, the more efficient tensions and fiscal responsibilities could be addressed. With a central government manning these responsibilities, instead of the individual colonies, they would obtain consistent governing policies. However, as with many things in life, it was a difficult path with a lot of conflicting ideas and opponents. Much of the population was divided choosing either the
The United States Constitution is a national government that consist of citizen’s basic rights and fundamental laws. This document was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia by the majority of representatives. Today, the United States Constitution’s purpose is to supply a strong central government. However, before the United States Constitution was developed, many citizens did not support the constitution due to the fact that they found it contradicting and detached from the original goals of the Declaration of Independence. These citizens were known as anti-federalists. Fortunately, George Washington was a supporter of the constitution and had an enormous impact in the public support of the constitution. With a few adjustments, some
The Supreme Court case in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow result in a unanimous ruling that the phrase “under God” may remain in the Pledge of Allegiance as narrated in public school classrooms. The court made the decision because the atheist father did not have grounds to sue the school district on behalf of his daughter. While the ruling was made on the Flag Day, it did not meet the clear endorsement of the constitutionality of the pledge as sought by President Bush and leaders of Republican and Democratic Parties in Congress. Notably, the eight judges who participated in the case had voted to turn over a federal appeals court decision in 2003 that would have prohibited the use of the phrase in public schools as an infringement of the constitutional outlaw on state-sponsored religion. A majority of these justices i.e. five made that ruling on procedural grounds in which Michael A. Newdow, the atheist, did not have legal reasons to sue the school district (Lane, 2004).
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 ...
Why was the Declaration of Independence written? The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. We all know that day as Independence Day. It was accepted on July 4, 1776. On that day, the United States had freedom. There was a long, hard process to get the Declaration of Independence where it needed to be. It took several people, and several reviews to get it just right.
Is there a constitutional right to burn the American flag? In Dallas, Texas there was a Republican Party for President Ronald Reagan as a re-nominated candidate for president. But the protesters were not so happy about the policies of the Reagan administration. Through the streets of Dallas protesters marched, causing damage to property. One protester named Gregory Lee Johnson doused an American Flag in kerosene and set it on fire. In Texas, desecrating an American Flag was a criminal offense. Johnson was arrested and charged with violating the Texas flag desecration law, so the U.S Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. We of the Majority opinion believe that there is a conclude that such conduct does not merit First Amendment protection also the flag itself may be used as a symbol, only in one direction which is the country, and it doesn’t matter if the flag has a deeply symbolic value.
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.”
Citizenship is the fiber that unites all Americans. We are a nation connected not by race or religion, but by shared values of freedom, liberty, and equality. What does that exactly signify to the average American citizen? It indicates that several of us, including myself, have not only expressed several of our rights such as freedom to express ourselves, freedom to worship as we wish, voting in elections, serving on a jury or purchasing or owning a firearm but we aspire to protect those rights.
According to Johnathonocross.com, “It is clearly designed to inspire feelings of devotion to a country that is “under God” (and by including this phrase, it also encourages religious belief). Children have little if any grasp on what their country does or intends to do both domestically and internationally.” If we can’t feel free of commitment while being Atheist or even Muslim, we won’t feel free to do anything out of what most Americans believe is being American.
In the survey that was given to students in an English classroom at Riverside Community College on November 19th, 50% of students agreed that children should recite the Pledge of Allegiance while 4% of students disagree. On the other hand, 36% either have mixed views or do not mind either way. Some of the viewpoints of students differ such as the 42% who say they want to follow the traditions that they had for years while 23% do not think it matters, or they do not know enough information about it. A staggering 8% say it goes against their religious beliefs or they find it unconstitutional. The remaining 27% chose the option other such as, saying it is a good way to teach children to respect their country and goes with their religious views, or they do not want others to be ostracized because of their religious beliefs (Survey).
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”
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).
The case Elk Grove Unified School District versus Newdow came about when a student parent, Michael Newdow, an atheist, has a disagreement with the Pledge of Allegiance. Elk Grove Unified School District is a public elementary school where teachers begin the day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, but it is considering being voluntary. Under California law, all elementary schools must recite the Pledge of Allegiance once a day unless those student object due to their religion. As stated before, in 1954 the Congressional Act added the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. Michael Newdow took it upon himself to review the School District policy referring to the religious portion. This caused Michael Newdow to sue in the federal district court in California, stating making students listen to the Pledge of Allegiance, even if the students do not choose to participate to the word “under God” violates the establishment clause of the United States Constitution’s First Amendment
The original Pledge of Allegiance was meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith and made no mention of God. The pledge was written in 1892 by the socialist Francis Bellamy. He wrote it for the popular magazine Youth's Companion on the occasion of the nation's first celebration of Columbus Day. It’s wording omitted reference not only to God but also to the United States. “Under God” should be removed from the pledge for purposes of creating equality in different beliefs and allowing each American their right laid out in the constitution. These are the original words to the Pledge of Allegiance.
“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.” So many people say this pledge in honor of our country everyday. It is being said in classrooms throughout the United States at this very moment. Yet why is it that people find the pledge objectionable, even arguing that it is unconstitutional, due to one phrase, “under God?” Perhaps these people have a valid point. In our modern world of political-correctness and the separation of church and state, is it possible that religion and mentioning God doesn’t have any place in our society? Qualified people, ministers and those experienced in politics, have debated this issue for many years, especially within the last fifty years. People continue to fight in the name of the constitution believing it to be a living document, and as it was intended by the founders. Despite people’s objections, The Pledge of Allegiance has a place in our society because it reflects the fundamental principles of our government, as well as revealing that politics has its roots in religion.