Religion & Public Education: The Pledge of Allegiance

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Religion Public EducationThe Pledge of
Allegiance

• Draft your own pledge
• Promise allegiance or loyalty to the United
  States or the American flag.
• Make it short (no more than 30-40 words).
• Make it inspirational.

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A Brief History of the Pledge

• Francis Bellamy the First Pledge (1892)
• Minor Edits (1920s) Official Status (1942)
• Under God (1954)

Bellamys original pledge I pledge allegiance
to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands
one nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice
for all.
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Eisenhowers Explanation of Under God (1954)
These words will remind Americans that despite
our great physical strength, we must remain
humble. They will help us keep constantly in our
minds and hearts the spiritual and moral
principles which alone give dignity to man, and
upon which our way of life is founded. President
Dwight Eisenhower to the Knights of Columbus
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Congressional Explanation of Under God (1954)
At this moment of our history the principles
underlying our American Government and the
American way of life are under attack by a system
whose philosophy is at direct odds with our own.
Our American Government is founded on the concept
of the individuality and the dignity of the human
being. Underlying this concept is the belief that
the human person is important because he was
created by God and endowed by Him with certain
inalienable rights, which no civil authority may
usurp. The inclusion of God in our pledge
therefore would further acknowledge the
dependence of our people and our Government upon
the moral directions of the Creator. At the same
time it would serve to deny the atheistic and
materialistic concepts of communism with its
attendant subservience of the individual.
Congressional Record (1954)
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Under God, Under Fire (2002-04)

• Michael Newdow Atheism
• The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2002)
• The Supreme Court (2004)

Theres a principle here, and Im hoping the
Court will uphold this principle, so that we can
finally go back and have every American want to
stand up, face the flag, place their hand over
their heart and pledge to one nation,
indivisiblenot divided by religionwith liberty
and justice for all. Michael Newdows closing
argument at the Supreme Court (2004)
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Ashcrofts Assessment of the Court Ruling Against
Newdow
Todays ruling ensures that school children in
every corner of America can start their day by
voluntarily reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
For centuries, America has referenced God as we
have expressed our patriotism and national
identity in the National Motto (In God we
trust), the National Anthem, the Declaration of
Independence, and in speeches like the Gettysburg
Address. An unbroken line of court precedents had
approved these common-sense acknowledgments of
the role of religion in our founding, history and
character, until the Ninth Circuit struck down
the Pledge. The Justice Department worked hard to
protect the Pledge, and we are pleased that the
Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuits
holding that the Pledge violates the
Constitution. US Attorney General John Ashcroft
(2004)
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Concept Mapping

• Sample Map Reading, Discussion Section, A, F-,
  bribe, nap, professor, students
• Your Concept Map American Flag, Under God,
  Indivisible, Liberty, Allegiance, Atheists,
  Church, and State