Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Snyder 2
formed to give people the freedom from religious persecution and therefore American
Government was founded on the beliefs of religion as well.
Religious values move and unite people and nations in situations where no other
agreement can be made. It is stated in the article, One Nation Under God? that under God
which has been added to the pledge in 1954 by conservatives wanting to draw attention to the
fact that the Soviet Union, unlike America, was an atheistic totalitarian state(One). The Phrase
Under God in the pledge was used to unify the United States when it was needed the most and
it brought the citizens together in a time of war. This article also writes that Abraham Lincoln
declared "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of
the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." One of this nation's
most influential leaders used religious phrases to move the people of this nation and unify them.
Religion is used to social gain public support of different items.
People do not completely understand religion completely and use and argue against
religion in unjust ways. It is said religious intolerance and racial discrimination are unjust
(Commonwell). Religion is treated as if each religion is the same and has the same rules, each
religion is different and to treat them and try to use them as if they are the same is ignorant at its
best. The article Religious liberty, not religious tolerance explains, Many Americans'
understanding of religious liberty goes no farther than Thomas Jefferson's phrase in his 1802
letter to Danbury Baptists-"a wall of separation between church & state." They do not read or
care for anymore then this, so therefore they take something said out of context and run with it.
People use phrases negatively and out of context without fully knowing what they are saying.
The first amendment is meant for separation of religion and government. This is stated in
many different articles saying that American law has long accorded special treatment
Snyder 3
(Commonwell), and the according to Thomas, the 1st Amendment was created to create a wall
of separation between church and state, (Freedom). A wall of separation causes people and
nation to become separate and to cause a sense of problem between the people of the United
States of American, emphasis on the united. A wall of separation is asking for problems: religion
has always moved and unified people. Religion should be treated specially legally because
religion isn't a narrow category, it is flexible and must be treated as such. People do not always
understand what they are arguing and pick a side without thinking fully of both sides.
Religious statements should be allowed in the government because they are crucial to the
way we are governed; it unifies the nation, it is what we were founded on and people dont fully
understand what they are arguing. Religious Liberty, Not Religious Tolerance says it best,
Because the American norm is religious liberty, the first freedom, it is always and everywhere a
goal of America (American). Whether or not you are religious, religion is part of the world and
therefore anyone's life. It began with the new world and influences political movements and
leaders. Someone is going to be unhappy whether we leave the phrases in the government or not,
the question is: who is the majority since we live where the people make the choices.
Snyder 4
Works Cited
Bishop, Donald M. "Religious liberty, not religious tolerance." American Diplomacy (2015).
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.
"Freedom of Religion." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. New York:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
URL
Morgan, Robin. "America Was Founded on Secular Principles." Religion in America. Ed. Mary
E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Ashcroft
and Friends vs. Washington and the Framers: Fighting Words for a Secular America." Ms.
Magazine 14 (Fall 2004): 47-49. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.
Wolfson, Adam. "One nation under God?" Commentary 114.3 (2002): 44+. Opposing Viewpoints
in Context. Web. 14 Oct. 2015.