Essay On Christianity In America

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation

Not to mention this was also not the first rewrite of the Pledge, but is the first rewrite of the Pledge to cause such a dilemma. It should be deemed inappropriate wording for a nation with diversity in all aspects in the view of the fact that what is supposed to unite us is actually separating us. A simple solution would be to either not say the Pledge or remain silent while others utter the words “under God”, but individuals may feel urged by peer pressure or otherwise viewed as un-American (57).

Gwen Wilde’s essay “Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised” highlights key reasons why the Pledge of Allegiance should be changed to be less divisive towards Americans who do not believe in a God. Wilde begins her essay by informing the audience of the countless alterations the pledge has gone through over the years. The earliest version of the pledge, which was published in 1892, left out the words “under God.” The words “under God” were not added until 1954 when president Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the pledge we all know today. Wilde goes into detail about the hypocrisy illustrated within the Pledge of Allegiance. She explains how the words “under God” are needlessly divisive in a nation that is said to be indivisible. However,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson wrote those words to express the emotions of a nation that desired freedom, and to shake the foundation of the British Empire. However, this simple, but eloquent phrase has sparked one of the greatest debates in American history. Is America a Christian nation? One question has divided the nation and its politicians since the founding and forming of America. This fiery debate has sparked more controversy than any other debate in modern politics.

Since before the United States was founded, the ideals of Christianity have been integrated into the government in some way, shape, or form. In the early days of the Colonies, Christianity was the centerfold for all government affairs; however, after the constitution was ratified and deemed effective in the United States, the First Amendment was born. 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 a redress of grievances” (source). In the early life of the United States, the

"I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under Congress, the Supreme Court, the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers, and the President, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Over the course of 62 years, Bellamy’s pledge has been revised three times, and the more specific it seemed to get, the momentum of controversy grew. The first set of phrases to be exchanged was from “my flag,” to “the flag of the United States” in June 1923 (Moss 2006). The reason was due to the massive influx of immigrants and their interpretation of the Pledge; the committee of the First National Flag Conference wanted to clarify to people who migrated to the States that it was specifically the United States flag and not their indigenous flag they were saluting to. The following year, “of America” was attached to the tail end of “United States;” forty years later, as courtesy of then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Pledge of Allegiance was modified to accommodate the phrase “under God” in between “one Nation,” and “indivisible” in June of 1954. President

From a young age, I remember starting a school day by standing, facing the American flag with my right hand placed over my heart, and reciting the pledge of allegiance. The pledge was as follows, “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”, however, that was not always how it was worded. The Pledge of Allegiance that many Americans know today has been rewritten many times, by the United States' government. Moreover, the language of the Pledge was changed in a straightforward way for American citizens to show their patriotism for America.

The Pledge of Allegiance has gone through several changes since it was written over one hundred years ago, but none of these changes have had as much controversy attached to them as the addition of “under God.” Written in 1892 by a minister named Francis Bellamy, the pledge was written for a national patriotic school program, in which children throughout the country would recite his words while facing the American flag. Words have been added, phrases have been altered for clarity, and even the correct way to salute the flag has been changed. While the vast majority of these changes were important, for example the salute being changed from a Nazi-esque extended right arm to the child’s hand over their heart, “under God” does not add anything of meaning to the Pledge. This phrase is not a necessary or beneficial part of the Pledge of Allegiance and should be removed by the President.

In August 1982 the pledge of allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy and was published in the Youth’s Companion, an American children’s magazine, on September 8th, 1982, as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day reading: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all." Millions of children took part in reciting the pledge for the first time that Columbus Day Ceremony of 1982 according to the Youth’s Companion. During the National Flag Conference, in 1923, the words “my Flag” are changed to “the Flag” to help prevent confusion with immigrants. In 1954, Congress added the words, “under God” to the pledge lobbied by The Knights of Columbus,

Saying “Under God” in the pledge of allegiance has been an American tradition that should stay. For example “It flies in the face of our national history and traditions. It has been a tradition for many years now, that should remain. It should remain because, it is not necessary to remove it if it had already be approved. “Thomas Jefferson and our other Founding Fathers understood that the government does not give us our freedom.” Saying that the government does not give us freedom shows that Thomas Jefferson was trying to say that God gives us our freedom. Freedom

- America is not Christian by sacred procurement or creedal confirmation, however, its kind are overwhelmingly Christian without anyone else attestation. Mindful evangelicals won't overestimate the familiar character of this self-distinguishing proof.

Was America founded as a Christian nation? This is a controversial topic for all Americans. There are a lot of sayings and supports for both sides of understanding. However, as for myself, I do not believe the United States has a Christian foundation. The reasons why I am not on the side of support are the words of former Presidents and Founding Fathers, requirements in US policies, and deductive reasoning from the past.

In his classic work Christ and Culture, H. Richard Niebuhr asserts that the relationship between earnest followers of Jesus Christ and human culture has been an "enduring problem."1 How should believers who are "disciplining themselves for the purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7) relate to a world whose culture is dominated by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2: 16)? Culture is God's gift and task for human beings created in His image and likeness. At creation humanity received a "cultural mandate" from the sovereign Creator to have dominion over the earth and to cultivate and keep it (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:15). But sin's effects are total, and

In our modern society, religion can either promote positive, optimistic actions or negative, destructive ones. From Christianity to Daoism, each different religion shapes the lives of its followers. Christianity and Hinduism can propel their followers to achieve moral greatness, while Islam and _____ can cause people to do heinous, damaging acts of violence and self-destruction.