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Religious Phrases in the Government


Religious values move people and nations, causes faiths and loyalties to begin, but also
solves many of the world's conflicts. There is a controversy of having religious phrases in the
government, such as In God We Trust on the United States currency and Under God in the
United States pledge of allegiance, this issue has been around for years and neither side can
come to a conclusion they both agree on. One side believes: that religion and government need to
be two different entities, while the other side believes that religion and government are too
closely related to be separated. Religious phrases should be allowed in the United States
government because America was built on religious ideals, religious values move people,
religion is not completely understood, but some people believe that there should be a separation
between church and state.
America was founded on the ideals of religion. In fact, the article Freedom of Religion
writes, throughout much of world history, people could not choose their religion freely... the
first amendment to the United States Constitution explicitly guarantees religious freedom to all
Americans. In other words, people first came to America to escape religious persecution from
other countries and the original 13 colonies were set up based on the different religions.
Additionally the article, America Was Founded on Secular Principles maintains the point that,
Men came across the sea not merely to find new soil for their plows, but to win freedom for
their souls, to think and speak and worship as they would. This is the freedom men value most.
Basically, the article is saying that men came across the sea from Britain to America to have the
freedom to worship who and how they please within certain guidelines. Clearly, America was

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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

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(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.

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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.

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