The Pledge of Allegiance in the Public School System

Some may argue that the phrase’s addition to the Pledge of Allegiance is an attempt on Congress’ behalf for a religious purpose. To excuse this attempt is to overlook the underlining influences that are put on schoolchildren daily and to endanger the schoolchildren’s religious liberty(Choper). However, every day schoolchildren are bombarded with different opinions and ideas from media, friends, and their surroundings. For example, a child sees their favorite athlete on television, speaking praise of his God, and suddenly, that kid wants to learn more about Christianity. Or, lets say a child is walking home with a friend and they pass by an older, popular student reading about atheism and they too become sparked with interest. Every day people live life, and they form opinions through the events that take place in their life. Religious liberty is about learning what one’s beliefs are on one’s own through one’s experiences. No one can be forced to believe something; whether or not they believe something is their personal business. Repeating the Pledge is just a way of proclaiming one’s pride in being an American and acknowledging the fact that America is a humble country that expresses consent to a higher authority. For those who say “under God” violates religious freedoms because it is a religious pledge that

As years have passed by, I’ve seen a dramatic change in schools, ranging from elementary to high school, suddenly stop saying or ignoring the Pledge of Allegiance. I cannot count the amount of times I have gotten angry at peers because they failed to show our country respect. Whether or not schools shouldn’t require the Pledge of Allegiance for both public and private schools should not even be considered. Discussions over the course of history have become heated, religious values have been crossed, and furthermore my heart is broken for those who fail to give two minutes of their time to say the pledge.

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 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

Very simply put, the Pledge in its latest from requires all Americans to say something that some Americans do not believe. I say “requires” because although the courts have ruled that students may not be compelled to recite the Pledge, in effect peer pressure does compel all but the bravest to join in the recitation. When President Eisenhower authorized the change , he said,

Today some people within this country believe that this song should not be in the schools at all for several different reasons. One of the reasons is the part of the song that says “Under God”. This is a big issue because in the first Amendment you are allowed to have freedom of religion. Now this pledge is saying that this country is “Under God” but saying this says that you believe in God and not

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

A controversial issue that’s been talked about for a while is the importance of the pledge of allegiance in the United Sates.

Everyday, all across America, schools say The Pledge Of Allegiance. This is considered one of the most controversial topics in America because of its religious views. The statement “One nation, Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all” causes the most controversy, mostly from religious standpoints. Just because there are many different religions in America that do not worship God, that does not mean we have to take it out all together.

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.

For years, elementary students all over the country have been asked to stand up in class and recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. However, this practice has been called into question, now standing and saying the pledge has become voluntary. The largest controversy over the Pledge of Allegiance was the addition of "under god" in the pledge. Some believe it should be enforced so that everyone says the pledge to show respect and patriotism in this country and show tolerance in a world of political correctness. Others feel it isn't necessary and goes against what they may believe and their constitutional rights under the first amendment, that “Justice for All” is simply not true and they should not be forced. I believe that elementary students should be required to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance in respect, but reciting it should be an individual choice.

The argument of being made to stand and say the pledge has become a hot topic. People believe that the portion of “Under God” is unconstitutional and should be taken out. However there are also people who believe that everyone should say the pledge to their country. There is deep and rich history on the pledge itself. The pledge should still be said in public schools to keep a sense of patriotism in the country.

I think that the only reason that this article would be published is for two main reasons and nothing else. They published this article because they want people to think of why having our kids saying the pledge of allegiance in school could be a tough subject to talk about and what the benefits or disadvantages are. The other reason, which is the worst reason, is to earn a profit. They don’t care about real news, they only write about what they think we want to read so they earn more of a

The first amendment prohibits the United States Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, infringing freedom of speech, infringing freedom of the press, limiting the right

The American Pledge of Allegiance has been embroiled in controversy ever since the phrase "under God" was added by Congress in 1954, following a campaign by the Knights of Columbus to change it. The debate regarding the phrase "under God" revolves around a number of questions. Mainly, the debate regards whether it is consistent with the separation of Church and State, or the Establishment Clause in the United States Constitution. The words of the Pledge express the fundamental values and the patriotic beliefs of the United States of America. Our nation’s pledge, which unites us as one in the face of battle, in struggle and in the aftermath of September 11th could be stripped because of two words: “under God”. This phrase could dissolve the flag that unites U.S. together as a nation. Despite the controversy, the inclusion of the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate our first amendment freedoms. The phrase “under God” references the founding political philosophy of our country and follows the concept of Ceremonial Deism as outlined by the Supreme Court.