The Pledge of Allegiance Without God

Allegiance is the loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause. We pledge allegiance to our flag which represents our nation. The Pledge of Allegiance promotes nationalism; a sense of pride in one's country. Reciting the pledge has become a very well followed social norm. One of the benefits of living in America is that you have the freedom of religion. This freedom is being tested by the phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. As Americans, we have the right to choose and practice whichever religion we please. We also have the freedom to not have a religion at all. By including God in the Pledge of Allegiance, it causes controversy among American citizens with different views. God should not be included in the pledge of Allegiance.

In America, we are allowed to practice freedom of religion but not everyone worships a god. Certain laws and freedoms, such as our freedom of religion, speech or right to bear arms, exist to ensure equality and to not offend anyone. There are people who are offended by the religious aspect of the Pledge of Allegiance. The person offended could be an Atheist who believes that the pledge should represent all people, even people who don't believe in a god. If one does not believe in God, why should one have to refer to him in the Pledge? However, if it were not for this country, we would not be able to have any freedoms at all. Some might argue that people should be grateful for what they have in this country, and to not care too much for small details. We also have to be sensitive to the person who is most offended by the religious reference because they can always refer to their rights as Americans. Every law, right, freedom, or decision should be able to safely apply to at least the majority of people. There is still going to be someone offended, so it is best to keep things neutral.

Each individual has rights in the government. A democracy is a government by the people exercised either directly or through elected representatives, as said in the American Heritage Dictionary, Office Edition. Every citizen should have an equal place in the government that is run for and by the people. In that case, if someone has a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance, then their voice should be heard. One should not have to settle for something they are uncomfortable with. Although every person has a stand in our country, another factor in our democratic government is majority rules. If a majority of our people is comfortable with saying "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, then that is the rule. It cannot hurt to take out the religious reference, but it will hurt to keep it in.

One cannot pledge allegiance to America without pledging allegiance to the Christian God. There are some American citizens who have all different types of beliefs. For example, how do you think a Buddhist feels when he or she has to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school? This addition of the phrase "Under God" makes it very hard for some people to say the Pledge. In opposition, some may feel that it is about showing respect to America. We should have a sense of nationalism towards our country. One can have a sense of nationalism without indication to God. That is just taking it way too far. Not everyone believes in God, so why have it in the Pledge?

America is a Christian based country. That is why there is the need to represent God in so many factors of our culture. The court system requires one to swear to God on the Bible. If you swear on the bible and the judge finds out that you lied, then you get charged for lying under the oath. You are lying under the oath of God. What if that person has no god? They should not be required to swear upon something that they do not personally believe in. Maybe they could swear under the oath of America or the government. Is this oath a violation of freedom of religion? This is a law built around Christianity. One might say that our nation was founded on these principals, and that is our culture and our structure. This is how it has been for a long time. Regardless, a person should have the right to deny the request to swear on the Bible without consequence. We have the freedom to believe in whatever we want.

In our currency, "In God We Trust" is imprinted on the bills. In America, everyone must handle money in order to be able to survive financially. You need currency to exchange for goods and services. If one believes in something different than a god, then why should they have to put their trust in something they don't believe in? The reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance and on our American currency only represents the people who put their trust in God. It is safer to remove any reference to God so that the represented population can be increased and there is less controversy. Our money doesn't exactly specify which god, but rather a higher power anyone could believe in. It does not specify a certain religion either. Nonetheless, there are Atheists and others that are not Christian They shouldn't have to be represented by people who do believe in a god.

Children in schools are required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. When I was in elementary school, I was required to say the pledge. If I did not say it, then there would be a consequence. Most children do not know the real importance of the Pledge of Allegiance. By having children recite the pledge in schools, it is reinforcing American values. Children will grow up with pride and positive American values. Regular schools are not teaching religious courses, or pushing a student directly towards a certain faith. This is an American tradition and it has grown into our culture. In opposition, the Pledge of Allegiance gets embedded into children's minds. Children should know what their rights are. They should be able to recite the pledge without any reference to God.

The Pledge of Allegiance is a very important aspect of our society. It represents the people and it shows our respect to our nation. However, everyone in our nation does not believe in God. By including the religious aspect in our nation's pledge, we are enforcing religious views that do not represent our entire nation. We are in America, right? No one should have to feel uncomfortable when they pledge their allegiance to our nation. It is best to take out "Under God" because one can still pay one's respect to the United States with or without that phrase included. Therefore, "Under God" is irrelevant in our pledge to the nation.