Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Constitutionalism Swayed by Religious Culture

As Americas, we take part in a huge balancing act between upholding religious values and maintaining freedom through the separation of church and state. There are laws that protect us from a theocracy and the First Amendment grants us freedom of and from religion. But because the majority of Americans call themselves religious, religious beliefs do affect our culture, particularly through the American education system. America’s religious beliefs shape many aspects of American life such as the Pledge of Allegiance, the pressure of creationism to be taught in school, and abstinence being taught in schools as opposed to safe sex.
The United States’ Pledge of Allegiance has undergone small yet very significant changes through the history of its existence due to the conflict of religion’s role in American government. When Francis Bellamy, a socialist minister, wrote the pledge of allegiance in 1892, he wrote “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” (Independence Hall Assn.). Over a century later we say our pledge with these words: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." During the Red Scare President Eisenhower persuaded Congress to add the words “under God” in 1954 (Independence Hall Assn.). The argument for the change was the name “God” does not discriminate between Jesus, Allah, or Buda. On the other hand, it does ignore and discriminate against America’s atheist population. So the paradox is that America, a nation with “complete” separation between church and state, is also “one nation, under God.” Freedom of religion and religious expression includes the right of an individual to choose to have no religious affiliation and to refuse the expression of any form of religion. Though the words “under God” may not be completely constitutional, I believe that taking them out would be a drastic change that the American government is not equipped to handle easily. This change to the Pledge would be strongly opposed by religious groups and may create an uproar that the American government does not want to deal with.
Public schools in America today are bombarded by the controversy of whether abstinence or safe sex should be taught in sex education and health classes. The strongest supporters of the teaching of sole abstinence without the information about safe sex are religiously affiliated groups. It is common knowledge that most dominant, modern religions in America oppose pre-marital sex. Religious values are imposed by parents and school authorities who believe that students would be better off without the knowledge of condoms, the pill, and STD testing. Many parents think that kids who are taught only abstinence will be less likely to have sex, while teaching safe sex will encourage kids to have sex. Others believe that teaching safe sex in addition to the option of abstinence is a better way to keep young Americans aware of their options and surrounding reality. The reality is that American teenagers do engage in sexual activity and safe sex does help prevent against STDs. With STDs, such as AIDS, affecting the lives of many people, realists attempt to warn young Americans and teach them ways of STD prevention. Stubborn parents who are trying to uphold religious values by withholding facts about safe sex from children may be jeopardizing the safety of sexually active teenagers.
Though it is illegal to teach creationism in public schools, many religious groups are pressing for creationism to be taught alongside evolutionism or instead of evolutionism. Creationism is the belief that follows the story of the Bible in which God created Earth and the humans, plants and animals that inhabit it. Creationism is not based on scientific research or discovery, merely religious beliefs. Since schools are run by state government, the material they teach is supposed to be inclusive of all religions and all non-religious people. Evolution is a highly acclaimed scientific theory that is based on much scientific research. In August of 1999 ABCNEWS.com quoted The Gallup Organization’s results on the public’s opinion of creationism and evolutionism being taught in schools. According to these results, forty percent of people are in favor of teaching creationism instead of evolutionism (Robinson). Hypothetically, if American public schools taught creationism rather than evolutionism, our school system would be slightly theocratic. Though it might be a lost cause, many extreme religious groups are pressing for schools to teach creationism, regardless of its interference with freedom of religion.
Though America is a republic democracy that is far from a theocracy, American people are largely religious. A religion not only affects the life of the individual but it shapes a national American culture. Religious values of America as a whole seep into the school systems through the Pledge of Allegiance, sex education and de-emphasis of evolution. Though the laws that construct the way Americans live are based on the Constitution, they are swayed by American culture to fit into a religious America.
“The Pledge of Allegiance.” n. p. Independence Hall Assn. 1995-2007. n. pag. 11 Dec. 2007
Robinson, B. A. The Origin of the Earth and of Animal Species: Recent Evolution/Creationism Conflicts in U.S. Public Schools. Adapt. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 11 Dec. 2007.

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