7 Responses

1. Justin Hasty says:

   11 September 2012 at 12:51 pm

   Lightning rod topics such as the phrase, “under God,” in the Pledge of Allegience are great for our English class discussions because there are many differing perspectives that we can look at it from.

   Those who support the phrase fall into two major categories in my opinion – (1) Christians who support it merely because it looks good on their faith to be tied to something said in schools on a daily basis, and (2) people who believe the phrase is primarily related to American political tradition, not necessarily a religious statement.

   Those who condemn the phrase tend to believe it violates the seperation of church and state, and it is unfair to non-christians who are forced to say “under God.”

   Although I don’t have strong feelings on either side of this arguement, while researching this I came across a quote from the former President Eisenhower. The quote was made on the day “under God” was lawfully put into the Pledge. It reads, “From this day forward, the millions of our schoolchildren will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural schoolhouse, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty.”

   It is interesting to me to note that in a 2003 public opinion poll, the majority of people did not see “under God” as primarily a religious phrase, neither did they view the phrase as a violation of the seperation of church and state.

   It seems to me that President Eisenhower saw it differently. Maybe we, as Americans, are just becoming farther removed from our own history and the context it can offer us today.

   All info and quotes can be found here : http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_pled1.htm

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2. Keith Rovin says:

   16 September 2012 at 11:52 pm

   The Statute of Kalisz, a legal document issued on September 8th 1264, Polish duke Boleslaw the Pious guaranteed Jews particular rights in his domains. The Statute stands as unusual example of religious toleration in an intolerant age. The Statute of Kalisz,created the climate that enabled the Jews to set up their own autonomous nation, which existed until Poland’s dissolution in 1795. Jews were regarded as different but not as inferiors, and their rights were spelled out in great detail in the Charter of 1264.The 1264 Charter was ratified by King Casimir the Great three times: in 1334, in 1354 and in 1367. King Casimir Jagiellon ratified it again, 186 years later, in 1453.Eighty-six years after that, in 1539, King Sigismund I the Elder ratified it.

   I found all my information here: http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/szyk/jewish/93807.htm

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Kalisz

   http://www.cousinsplus.com/families/CousinsPlus/History/golden-age.htm

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3. Heather Daugherty says:

   19 September 2012 at 10:30 pm

   In the ancient world, there were no such things as “flags,” however in the Ancient Greek city-states instead of flags they had shields yielding distinct and symbolic signs. On their shields, the soldiers bared their military oath, and that oath was given at a sacred ceremony. Just like it’s a great dishonor for an American to burn an American flag, for the shield of a Greek to fall to the enemy was also considered a great dishonor. Also just like today were we have many different flags for many different states, and countries, there were many different symbols and designs on the shields. For example the letter A or a picture of an owl was Athens. Or the Greek letter Lamba for Lacedaemon was Sparta’s ancient name. The list goes on and on. (: – Heather Daugherty

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4. aseiler says:

   5 December 2012 at 7:21 pm

   Saying the Pledge of Allegiance is part of most schools’ routines. As a teacher my mother has had several students who did not say it. Most of them were Jehovah’s Witnesses. She also had some students whose parents said they did not have to. One parent said their child had no idea what it was about. The parent felt that when their child understood what they were saying then they had in option to recite the pledge or not. There were also some students whose families had just moved to this country. As citizens of other countries they did not the child to say the pledge. One parent said they would be returning to their own country if it ever became stable. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in reciting the pledge. They only give allegiance to God. Through out the years Jehovah’s Witnesses have been prosecuted for this belief.
   -Amber Seiler

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5. Amber Seiler says:

   7 December 2012 at 8:37 pm

   There have been many court cases involving the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance and Johovah’s witnesses. I will name a few cases that involved the pledge. There are many other that involve Jehovah Witnesses and their religious beliefs.
   -In 1944 Daniel Morgan refused to give his allegiance to a flag. This case went to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
   -In 1935 Grace Estep a school teacher was fired by the Canonsburg Pennsylvania school board for refusing to lead her class in the pledge.
   – In 1962 Charles McManigal refused to say the pledge with his students or lead them in the National Anthem. He made a complaint to the Michigan Fair Employment Practices Commission.
   – In 1952 a teacher named Kathryn Singleton refused to lead her class in the pledge. The school board wanted to fire her but the principal defended her.

   Amber Seiler

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6. Joe C says:

   9 December 2012 at 11:34 pm

   according to legends the first American flag was made by Bettsy Ross. it was said that george washington had visited her one day at her upholstery shop and showed her a rough design of the flag on my 1776. Washington first favored using a star with six points but then Ross had made a suggestion for a five pointed star and then washington agreed. There have been many variations of this flag but this was the first one and it was made by betsy ross. there is so much meaning and truth to this flag that im glad i live in america.

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7. Breana Damron says:

   9 December 2012 at 11:51 pm

   Especially in today’s culture has it become more and more controversial for students to be required to say the pledge of allegiance in schools. In fact, only five states; Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Maryland, require students to say the pledge. A majority of states give students options on whether or not they must say the pledge, and the rest have no law concerning the topic. When the pledge was written in 1892, as stated in the Today in History, it had good intentions of pulling the people of the United States together, not to bind people through religious affiliations. There have been many changes to our pledge, and although there may be mention of a god, the pledge does not specify which. Instead of looking at the pledge as an allegiance to the Christian God, people should see the pledge as a way of expressing their allegiance to the United States.

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