At a very young age in reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance’ I always stumbled upon the phrase, “one nation under God.” This always made me ponder the idea of why students in a public school system would be pushed to say such a phrase every morning at the start of class, especially in a very strict community where the idea ‘separation of church and state’ was upheld very high. Although, now with more insight on the concept of Civil Religion in America I have come to understand the idea of “one nation under God” as it is a way amongst many that unites our nation.
In Robert Bellah’s, “Civil Religion in America,” he uses John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech in which Kennedy refers to ‘God’ many times. Although he then goes on to explain Kennedy never once referred to Jesus Christ, Moses or the Christian Church, but instead he refers to the broad concept of a ‘God’ which most Americans cannot resist. Bellah also explains how important the presidents inauguration along with many other rituals are very important to our way of government and how we also have many beliefs and symbols that leads him to the reference of an ‘American Civil Religion.’
As it can easily be uncovered ‘God’ can be found throughout our history, one that is very rich with text which explains who and why our nation is in this form of existence today. Unlike most religions our Civil Religion according to Bellah is not one that upholds salvation and love, but instead lies on the sturdy grounds of order and law, making it very apparent this ‘God’ is interactive with its followers and those followers being the people of America. America is consisted of many cultures and religions and those who all live by the American way of life are united under many of our governments’ rituals, beliefs, and symbol. One being the Pledge of Allegiance and as we have all sited at one point in time, we are “one nation under God.”
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As a child, I also had to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school and was confused why everyone had to say "one nation under God," even though there was several religious backgrounds present. What confuses me now, if we can teach "one nation under God" why cant we teach the basics of Civil Religion, that the term God is not in relation to a particular God. At an age appropriate level, of course.
ReplyDeleteLike most I also was required to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school and can still remember til today that one of my friends never said "one nation under God" what reciting it. One day I asked her why she did not and she replied with my family does not believe in God. I never understood why she could not say the words if they meant nothing to her and were just words. This just shows that there are many religious backgrounds in the United States today. Now even today in the public school classrooms teaches are not allowed to have their students say the Pledge of Allegiance because of that one line in the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with one love, we should teach the basics of Civil Religion. No one ever talked about why we said "one nation under God" in the years when we said the Pledge of Allegiance, but I was always curious. I do remember that my Christian friend growing up would remind me that, "The president believes in God, so you should too."
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