Pledge Of Allegiance Essay

Improved Essays
Show More
Most public schools begin their day by reciting the pledge of allegiance. Saying the words you learned since 3rd grade seems easy enough, but as you progress through school you learn more of your rights you are guaranteed by the united states constitution like freedom of religion which is our great nations first amendment. All across the country students are required to recite it, and if they don’t, they will be punished for acting out in class. What they don't realize is that they are only participating in their rights to not be forced upon a religion. Isn't this what we preach and preach but what are we doing when it comes to the pledge of allegiance is a question of your patriotism or religion if you refuse to partake. Many believe it to …show more content…
“Does the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance merely acknowledge the role that religion has played in American history— without even presuming the existence of God? Such an interpretation appears to be unwarranted, since the Pledge makes no mention of the nation’s history or any of the aforementioned events,” (Kao, G. Y., & Copulsky, J. E. 2007). The students should not be required to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance due to the second amendment. It strips the students of the rights that the school system teaches them. They have the right to freedom of religion. Why should the students be forced to recited a sacred pledge to the country of the home of the free? The Pledge of Allegiance is indeed rich in history. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country. In its original form it read: "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” …show more content…
One nation under god, right there is a religious aspect of the pledge of allegiance. Our first amendment states, “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” (First Amendment). What does this mean to students in school? It means they are being stripped of one of their most important amendments and rights in this country. Public School systems across the country require students to stand and recited the pledge of allegiance I believe this to be very wrong and systematic of our government. If we truly had our freedom of religion it would be an easy issue to clear up an deactivate the pledge of allegiance in school systems. Many believe it to be a great tradition and bring up arguments that its been in our country for years and should stay. Some individuals have very radical view of the people who don't participate in the pledge. Some state, People die for our country! The least we can do for the men and women

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Case Study: Engel V Vitale
    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Case Study: Engel V Vitale

    This clause states Congress cannot make any laws establishing religion. ISSUE Does the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of a school day in a public school violate the Establishment of Religion Clause of the First Amendment? HOLDING Yes, school-sponsored prayed does violate student’s First Amendment rights under the Establishment of…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Engel Vs Vitale Analysis
    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Engel Vs Vitale Analysis

    A New York State law created states all public schools were to open each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a nondenominational prayer in which the students acknowledged their dependence upon God. Engel vs. Vitale was a case brought to the attention of the Supreme Court by ten concerned parents by minors who attended a public school in New York City. At the beginning of a school day lesson the following prayer, consisting of 22 words, ‘Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen.’, was recited due to the approval of the New York state board of regents (state board of education) in 1951.…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pledge Of Allegiance: Francis Bellamy
    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Pledge Of Allegiance: Francis Bellamy

    In 1891 editor and owner Daniel Ford approached Francis Bellamy to advertise and promote the sale of American flags for a national magazine. Bellamy took the job opportunity and created the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1892 the Pledge of Allegiance was published for the first time in the magazine, The Youth Companion. In 1898 New York became the first state to legislate the requirement to making it a part of a morning flag salute in schools.…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pledge Of Allegiance By Francis Bellamy
    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Pledge Of Allegiance By Francis Bellamy

    For more than 120 years, American children have recited the Pledge of Allegiance as part of their school day. Today, these 31 words serve as a unifying oath for all Americans. Controversy continues over whether the author was the chairman of the committee, Francis Bellamy--who worked in the promotions department of a magazine for young people that published the pledge called the Youth’s Companion --or James Upham, who worked for the publishing firm that produced the magazine.…

    • 671 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pledge Of Allegiance Pros And Cons
    • 966 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Pledge Of Allegiance Pros And Cons

    George Doherty preached a sermon that said, apart from the mention of the phrase the United States of America, it could be the pledge of any Republic. In fact, I…

    • 966 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Everson V Board Of Education Essay
    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Everson V Board Of Education Essay

    Religion has played integral role in shaping American society since its founding, almost two-hundred and fifty years ago. From the Declaration of Independence, which acknowledged “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God,” to George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, which established “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” in recognition of “the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God… and humbly to implore His protection and favor,” many of America’s founding fathers freely recognized the authority and importance of religion. Yet, the First Amendment of the Constitution forbids Congress, and, by the Fourteenth Amendment, states, from making any “law respecting an establishment of religion.” The tension between this vague Constitutional limitation and the inseparability of religion from American society has generated countless court cases. Since Everson v. Board of Education (1947)—in which Justice Black famously asserted that the First Amendment has built a “wall of separation between church and state……

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pledge Of Allegiance Pros And Cons
    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Pledge Of Allegiance Pros And Cons

    The first amendment in the Constitution of the United States of America states that everyone has the right to practice any religion, or none at all. Another aspect that comes with freedom of religion is that the US government will not establish a religion, therefore there will be a separation of church and state. In 1954, Dwight Eisenhower proposed to Congress that the words, “under God,” be added into the Pledge of Allegiance (undergod.procon.org). After sixty-three years, controversy has broken out claiming that those words elude to an established religion. The words, ‘under God’ should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance because it expresses the views of our nation’s past and present leaders, it does not force those who recite it to believe…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Essay On Under God In The Pledge Of Allegiance
    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Under God In The Pledge Of Allegiance

    One of the arguments for the use of the phrase, “under God,” in the United States Pledge of Allegiance is that many Americans believe the United States is a Christian nation and was founded on Christian values. Many founding fathers, Patrick Henry among them believed that religion was needed to bring a nation together and make a foundation for a strong union. Many Presidents like Truman and Eisenhower encouraged a more outspoken lean towards the use of God. For example they encouraged the change of the national motto from, “Of Many One,” to, “under God.” 2.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why The Pledge Of Allegiance Be Revised By Gwen Wildd Analysis
    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Why The Pledge Of Allegiance Be Revised By Gwen Wildd Analysis

    Wilde says, “If one remains silent while others are speaking the words “under God,” one is open to the charge that one is unpatriotic, is unwilling to recite the Pledge of Allegiance”(65). The statement she makes here is not that convincing, because she does not give any evidence of a time were this was a problem. The pledge is a symbol of patriotism but just because someone does not recite it does not make them unpatriotic even if they do not say the phrase “under God”. She goes further on to say that, “I understand that the First Amendment to the Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. I am not arguing that the words “under God” in the pledge add up to the “establishment of religion”, but they certainly do assert a religious doctrine” (65).…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Religion In Public Schools Analysis
    • 1929 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Religion In Public Schools Analysis

    It is a completely formal publication written for the purpose of explaining the history of conflicts concerning religion in school and the rights that students, parents, and teachers have regarding the issue. The writer appeals to ethos and establishes credibility prior to the audience reading the article because the Pew Research Center is a well-known and trusted source. The writer also appeals to logos by including statistical information such as the quote, “According to an August 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center, more than two-thirds of Americans (69%) agree with the notion that ‘liberals have gone too far in trying to keep religion out of the schools and the government’” (Lupu et al para. 4). The article also contains many facts relating to Supreme Court rulings, such as “In Engel v.Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court held that the Establishment Clause prohibited the recitation of a school-sponsored prayer in public schools” (para. 9).…

    • 1929 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    The Importance Of The Pledge Of Allegiance
    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Importance Of The Pledge Of Allegiance

    That also includes national oaths. Having “under God” in the “Pledge”—the Christian god—explicitly goes against their wishes. While some try to paint the founding fathers into devout Protestants, a large portion, including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, were all Deists, an organisation who frequently combated with mainstream Christianity. Because of that, they fought for all of America’s legislature to be religiously ambiguous. Despite the work of our forefathers, others are reluctant to remove the phrase because of the “Pledge’s” history.…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why The Pledge Of Allegiance Should Be Mandatory
    • 1899 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Why The Pledge Of Allegiance Should Be Mandatory

    Jeffery Salkin states that some students cannot stand for the Pledge because doing so would go against their religion (Salkin, 2016). There are a few religions which do not allow students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but some schools find it redundant and still look down upon these students. Some students who refuse to stand and recite the Pledge because of their religious beliefs are still given penalties (Hoedel, 2015). One of the main reasons that the pledge goes against students with certain religions is because of the line “Under God ”. That phrase goes against religions that do not believe in the idea that there is one creator called God and it also goes against religions that believe in many gods and goddesses, not just one.…

    • 1899 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    In God We Trust: Freedom Religion In Public Schools
    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In God We Trust: Freedom Religion In Public Schools

    Provisional Title “In God We Trust: Freedom Religion in Public Schools” This title was chosen to examine and understand the extent in which teachers and students can express their beliefs, and the extent to which schools allow religion to be tolerated. I chose the title “In God We Trust” because it is the official motto of the United States, yet it directly correlate’s with the controversy of separation of church and state. As an American citizen we have the right to freedom of religion, but the constitution is vague in what extent freedom of religion is acceptable.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Prayer In Public Schools Research Paper
    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prayer In Public Schools Research Paper

    The Importance Of Prayer In Public Schools The act of group prayer, or reading the Bible in public schools, whether it is between students and teachers, just students, or as a group activity fro the entire school is illegal in the United States. This is made so by the establishment clause of the first amendment. Countless people agree with this law while a few, similar to myself, strongly disagree. I believe that schools should be aloud to hold prayer services together if they wish to.…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Persuasive Speech: The Importance Of Prayer In Public Schools
    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Persuasive Speech: The Importance Of Prayer In Public Schools

    Over the years, there has been a major conversational issue in the United States today about whether prayer should or should not be allowed in public schools. Prayer has already been banned in various numbers of public schools across the country. Many people have different religious views on this issue, but someone else’s religious view should not determine what someone else can do. The First Amendment states “freedom of religion”, so why can children not have this right in public school? There are plenty of different religions.…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings