Separation Between Religion And Schools

Did you know that in most public schools, students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day? As an attendant of a public school, one would come in every morning and before starting class, one would recite the pledge just like any other day. Most Americans are familiar with the words to the Pledge of Allegiance, but recently, a commotion has brewed over two words, “under God,” which were added in 1954. To little surprise, “under God” does not have to be spoken. It is completely optional to say the Pledge, yet this has become a huge controversy spiraling into lawsuits and heated debates. The phrase “under God” does not imply nor enforce any doctrine on Americans; it simply represents the fact that this nation was built with

With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American

Summary: The division between church and state is a gray line that is often crossed and argued about. For example, Gwen Wilde, the author, argues that the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance requires people who do not believe in God to recite something they do not necessarily believe in. If a person chose not to say the full Pledge, including to utter the words “under God” they run the risk of being called unpatriotic. The author continually argues that the words “under God” add a religious doctrine that not all Americans believe in.

(Harrison, Maureen. Gilbert, Steve. Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court II.) The public schools systems are not trying to offend anyone. They are trying to uphold the system of educating American students. The views of a few people should not influence the greater good of the Pledge of Allegiance. It has been recited for many years and for many years people have fought against it. People are not fighting against the statement “In God We Trust” that is imprinted on each and every coin in the United States. There is no need to change the Pledge it is there for Americans to recite to show their appreciation to a grateful nation and as a way of saluting the American Flag. Mudhillun Muqaribu wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times titled God and the Pledge: My Brother’s Quest. Mudhillun writes that he is a Muslim who grew up in America. When he was younger, other students made it clear to him and his siblings that “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance did not apply to them. He says that he began sitting out of the Pledge in the sixth grade. The main point of his letter was to applaud Michael Newdow for upholding religious diversity in America. (Muqaribu, Mudhillun. Letter. New York Times). Mudhillun was not persecuted by anyone for his decision in sitting out in the Pledge; it was his decision and he was respected for that. Michael Newdow and the others who argue against “Under God” in the Pledge have the right

Seventy-three years ago, Congress put the United States in a difficult situation. It concerned the Pledge of Allegiance. They decided to add the phrase “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance which started a great amount of controversy among people. Some people argument that since “under God” was never a part of the original Pledge of Allegiance and many US citizens don't believe in a god at all. Any pledge they may make 'under god' would be irrational and irrelevant. But the rest have a different idea about the problem. They believe the U.S. is a nation founded by religious persons and Americans are joined by great ties to multiple religions, so there should be no separation of church and state. They want to keep the “Under God” in the pledge. Gwen Wilde, a student at Tufts University, explains this issue in her essay, “Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should Be Revised”. She says “the addition of the words ‘under God’ is inappropriate, and they are needlessly

Each morning, millions of students across America recite the Pledge of Allegiance, the thirty-one words that essentially summarize the meaning of being an American. The pledge was intended to bring Americans together and unite them. However, two out of these thirty-one words, “under God,” contradict the United States Constitution, which protects the freedoms of Americans. There are many different religious beliefs in America. Religion for many people is seen as a sensitive subject, and it may cause a breakdown within the people. Therefore, the Pledge of Allegiance should be interdicted so that we, Americans, can have our rights that we deserve.

There is much unneeded controversy about if “Under God” should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance. The words “Under God” are very important and need to stay in the Pledge of Allegiance as they always have. There are many reasons that “Under God” is a vital part of the Pledge of Allegiance. First, “Under God” is not discriminating against other religions and beliefs but it is expressing what our nation was founded on. Secondly, “Under God” should remain in the pledge because most of the leaders of our country and the majority of the people that live here believe in a God. Although some people think that saying “Under God” in the pledge of Allegiance is forcing religion on some people the reasons to keep those words in the pledge greatly outweigh

The words “under god” were mixed in for Cold War propaganda. Many things have changed since then and the U.S. should acknowledge that there are more religions in the states now than there ever were. "I happen to like the Pledge of Allegiance. I like the original one, written back in 1892 by a minister who didn't feel it was necessary to use the word 'God' because he was writing a patriotic statement for the country. Back in 1954, we got a little politically correct during the McCarthy era. Everybody had to prove not just that they loved America, but that they also loved God. We got patriotism and religion confused” (Procon.org, Berry). The constitution has a “guaranteed” separation of state and church. So putting “under god” into the pledge sounds very delusional. God belongs in church, not in the government, courts and schools. Definitely not in schools, yet it is. The pledge specifically targets school children and makes them to believe in something they don’t yet understand. “Under god” should not be in a pledge issued by the government period. Having every citizen say "under god" implies that the nation is as whole, so, if a citizen does not follow this so-called "god" then they are excluded from this nation? That certainly makes no sense toward a “freedom of religion” country.

“I felt so uncomfortable sitting out the Pledge in one high school class that I opted to drop that subject entirely. The scrutiny from classmates, even more so from the teacher, was more than I was willing to bear. I stood up for my principles by sitting down, but I was an insecure conformity-craving teen just like everyone around me. To opt out of the Pledge without giving myself hives, I opted out of biology. And to think I could have been a doctor” (Pellot 16) The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America is a form of speech to show devotion the United States of America, symbolized by the U.S. flag consisting of 13 horizontal lines, alternating with the colors red and white, and 50 white stars on the upper left corner with a blue background. The pledge was written in 1892 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. It wasn’t until 1954 that the term “under God’ was a part of the pledge. Despite the fact that the Pledge of Allegiance demonstrates devotion to the nation, forcing students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance causes controversy due to the mention of God, violating the first amendment which allows U.S. citizens to have the freedom of speech and religion, and how numerous of young children do not understand the meaning of the pledge.

Our day always begins with a combination of church and state. Every school day for twelve years we must clearly state our belief in God. Furthermore, we must also state our loyalty and allegiance with a hand held over a heart as though non-conformity equates to certain death in our Pledge of Allegiance. This has been a topic of conversation amongst classmates for years with firm, opinions on both sides of the fence. Based on the vehemence of feelings expressed by peers, I assume there are plenty more strong opinions out there, but the topic tends to fall in the “do not discuss” category along with religion and politics as taboo and thus is often avoided like a rattlesnake hiding indefinitely under a rock. Sometimes, it’s best to turn over the rock with civil disobedience and scare off the snake…he may not want to bite after all.

Those are the words that are said every day by students from elementary school to high school. But these words are unfair to many in America who either do not believe in God or, even if they do, desire a clear separation between church and state. This author will argue that the phrase “Under God” does not belong in the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America.

Many people today feel that with the growing number of different religions in the U.S. that schools need to be open to the religions of other. This has lead to protest of whether the pledge of allegiance or even prayer should be said in public schools. Even though many people will say that the pledge of allegiance is a pledge to our country many still feel that the phrase “one nation under god” should be cut from the pledge to keep the neutrality of public schools. “Since Jimmy Carter, religious fundamentalists play a major role in elections. He was the first president who made a point of exhibiting himself as a born again Christian. That sparked a little light in the minds of political campaign managers: Pretend to be a religious fanatic and you can pick up a third of the vote right away. Nobody asked whether Lyndon Johnson went to church every day. Bill Clinton is probably about as religious as I am, meaning zero, but his managers made a point of making sure that every Sunday morning he was in the Baptist church singing hymns.”(Noam Chomsky) This quote shows that fundamentalism not only affects our schooling, but even our view of political

The role of religion in American public life remains an unresolved question as the Courts impose greater restrictions and then relax them. Government today is far more involved in the lives of ordinary Americans than it was in Jefferson’s day, especially through the public school system, allowing for more opportunities for church and state confrontation. Although, American people are far more religiously diverse than in the early years, making the controversy of the separation of church and state a hot topic. While non-Christians worry that lowering the “wall of separation” to allow free expressions of religion will be prejudicial against their religious communities. The issues with the separation of church and state affect the lives of Americans

“ Recitation of the pledge of allegiance in public schools is fully consistent with the Establishment Clause of the first amendment of the United States Constitution” (procon.org). The reason we say “under god” in the pledge is because the founders of this country believe we get our freedom from God. Congress put this saying in the Pledge to express a purpose and to show a truth that America recognizes an authority higher than the state. Some people will argue that taking out “under God” is not being anti- religious, because we should not make kids pledge to God while pledging to the Country (procon.org).

Throughout the history of the United States, the issue of religion has often been at the forefront of American politics and the American legal system. The topic of religion in public schools arises quite often due to the religious diversity that exist in the United States and sometimes it is due to citizens not understanding the law. The issue of what to do during an assignment that asks students to write about their hero and draw a picture that represents them and a student discusses and displays a religious figure, is protected under free speech and I will prove this.