Post 5

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools does not discriminate against atheists, despite containing the words “under God.” According to the AP, the court ruled in Doe V. Action-Boxborough Regional School District that the phrase “under God” reflects a patriotic practice and is not necessarily religious. “Although the words ‘under God’ undeniably have a religious tinge, courts that have considered the history of the pledge and the presence of those words have consistently concluded that the pledge, notwithstanding its reference to God, is a fundamentally patriotic exercise, not a religious one,” the court’s ruling said. All students are treated alike, they are free to choose to recite the pledge or any part they see fit. They are also free to choose to abstain, and no student who chooses to abstain from reciting the pledge is required to state their reason for why they did not want to say it. The main reason that the pledge of allegiance is said in schools is to instill a sense of patriotism amongst students. Some believe that it shouldn't be controversial at all because it the process is just what it is described as: a pledge. It is certainly far from being an oath which can bind a student against what they are saying. The pledge certainly has a lot of history, and this could be another thing which makes it believed to be so important. Because of how the pledge has been prominent in American society for as many as 100 years, it could be said that it could be too big a change and un-traditionalistic if the pledge was to be abandoned now following on from the years of prominence that it has had in the educational arena.

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"No child should go to school each day to have the class declare that her religious beliefs are wrong in an exercise that portrays her and her family as less patriotic than believers." -David Niose, president of the American Humanist Association. Many people believe that the pledge of allegiance should not be said in schools because it says the words "under god." Beginning each public school day with the Pledge of Allegiance forces non-theistic children to either acknowledge God or stand out as a protestor. The current language of the Pledge of Allegiance as written in our Federal laws states: "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. If a child attends public school from Kindergarten through 12 th grade, they hear that we are a nation under God 2,320 times. Although the Supreme Court said students cannot be required to recite t...
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