Persuasive Essay #1 A Guard on Religious Free domIn the eyes of our founding fathers, few things seemed as important as the separation of church and state. The first amendment grants all Americans the freedom to subscribe to any religion they wish and promises that the government will not promote any religion above any other. Although the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion are firmly and concretely secured in the Constitution of the United States, events in the recent past bring to question whether this ideal is under threat of losing its place as an American standard. A recent controversy that brings to light the threat of the separation of church and state is the debate over the words “one nation under God” in the pledge of allegiance. A review of current event programs when the offense first unfolded showed few other stories as important as an attack on our separation of church and state. Although maintaining a critical eye on our rights and assuring that no true threats develop on one of the cornerstones of the country, it is important to also keep in perspective whether a true infraction has taken place.
On several American artifacts you can find a reference to God. However, taking offense to these references is counterproductive and overly sensitive. First, the God mentioned on these American artifacts is a generic God and only means that the collective American faith is placed on a higher power, without any specificity as to a particular god. Secondly, these references are more a following of tradition than a violation of the separation of church and state. It is important to choose a battle wisely to not take away from future battle and maintain importance on the battles deserving of a fight. One such battle that is deserving of attention is the battle of prayer in school or the moment of silence as a clever euphemism.
The Essay on Loren Baritz’s “God’s Country and American Know-How”
In Loren Baritz’s “God’s Country and American Know-How”, it briefly describes the birth of our nation, characteristics, and theories through out America’s history. “America would become god’s country” (435) is not only the title of the summary but the basis of our founding father’s thoughts. In the begin only few words were spoken of the ...
To publicly bring attention to students with different beliefs is clearly a violation of the ideals of our fore fathers. Not only does the moment of silence bring sensitive differences to light but clearly presses on the issues of religion and possibly alienates religious minorities. Another such recent test to the separation of church and state was President Bush’s public definition of marriage and attack on homosexual relationships. Under the code of unethical, Mr. Bush attempted to ban the union of two same sex members from joining as married. Although no Biblical scripture has been presented as support for the proposed constitutional amendment, the disagreement with same sex marriage can primarily be found in the religious fields or in area’s traditionally known as religiously dominant areas.
Marriage is both an emotional as well as contractual union of individuals. To prevent the union should require the backing of evidence that appeals to more than the fickle nature of the public. When arguing for the importance of the maintenance of the separation of church and state, it is important to focus on why such a separation is necessary for the well-being of the country and to keep perspective on our fore fathers ideals. The maintenance of such an ideal as the separation of church and state has numerous benefits necessary to preserving the United States as it stands. At the root of America’s origin is the fleeing from religious oppression and the idea of free worship. To make a person uncomfortable based on their religious beliefs or to pressure any individual into a particular religious belief shows a lack of concern for the foundation of America’s origins.
It is also key to keep in mind that a major part of America’s unique appeal is the differences among its citizens and the vast varieties of customs and idea’s all hinging from the differences seen in the citizens of America. To cause the criticism of an individual for their beliefs or lack thereof is in direct violation of the constitution of the country. Such infringement of the ideals of the country as the attempts to pass a constitutional amendment defining marriage undercuts the foundation of America and must be surveyed to assure that it does not go unnoticed and jeopardizes the freedom all Americans have grown to love and cherish. As a closing thought, it is key to look at countries that have not adopted the same freedoms as America in the name of religion and notice the differences in the happiness of those citizens abused and forced into a religion chosen by the state.
The Essay on Seven Evidences State Religious Prayer
America Was Not Founded on Christian Principles Mark Weldon Whitten discusses seven evidences he feels supports the separation of state issue. The seven evidences surround mainly, the actions of the authors, the verbiage and purpose of the First Amendment. Whitten's seven "evidences" are, for the most part, substantial evidence. His proof is based on mostly assumptions, including one author's ...
