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Do you think this was very fair? Esp. since he goes to a non-Catholic, public school?

He's really depressed now.

2007-01-15 01:10:39 · 24 answers · asked by 2 days after my B day :) 2 in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

He's not a Muslim.

2007-01-15 01:17:35 · update #1

He didn't say Satan...I'm sure of that.

2007-01-15 01:18:06 · update #2

24 answers

This is actually illegal. Let me first state I am a proponant of the "Pledge of Allegiance" as is. I am a former U.S. Army soldier and now a school teacher.
The strongest precidence for this is the West Virginia Board of Education vs. Barnette.
Now whatthe site I listed won't tell you is that in all 50 states in the Union, it is required, regardless of the students religion, that during the Pledge of Allegiance, they at least silently stand and be respectful (this use of the word respectful is refered back to the school and class rules and deals with the orderlyness of the class and not the rights of those saying the Pledge of Allegiance).

As a teacher who teaches in apublic school system myself, I can almost promise you that the punishment was a result of their behavior/attitude after the fact, rather than not saying the word "God".

2007-01-15 01:25:56 · answer #1 · answered by LTin2000 3 · 0 1

If this is indeed true, it is so not cool.

Having been in a similar situation, I can tell you there is no law that says students have to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I went further, I refused to even stand up for it.

Standing up and mouthing a pledge doesn't prove anything other than you can memorize something.

Besides, the original Pledge didn't have God in it at all. I am amazed how many people over the age of 55 have forgotten.

2007-01-15 03:30:08 · answer #2 · answered by Black Dragon 5 · 0 0

As much as I believe that God should be left in the Pledge and on our money, I do believe that the punishment was excessive. I doubt if it will achieve the purpose for which the teacher intends. A counseling session to discover why he failed to say God in the pledge would have been more fruitful. Since i do not have any more information on the subject I cannot comment any further. It is good to get things like this out in the open so that as a people we Americans can express our views, rather than leave it to fanatics.

2007-01-15 01:18:31 · answer #3 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0 0

The law calls for the separation of church and state. This situation is clearly at odds with that belief. The school needs to reinstate him and apologize to him. They should also be put on alert that it happens again they will be brought before the court. The adminstrators need to be re-educated on the laws of the United States.

Did your cousin say why he did not use 'God' in the pledge? There must be a reason.

Tell your cousin that what he did is not wrong, it is his right as an American citizen.

2007-01-15 01:20:34 · answer #4 · answered by i have no idea 6 · 0 0

A friend of mine and I had a similar issue when we were in the 5th grade. We started to rap the Pledge (word!) and were repeatedly warned. Being the enterprising and unafraid of our teacher kinds of kids we were, we enlisted the rest of the class to rap with us.

The teacher and the principle couldn't really do much after that and we kept doing that daily for the entire school year.

1.) separation of church and state is the only thing that prevents a theocracy - the reason you want to do that is if you don't, sooner or later, the theocracy will be a different religion that yours.

2.) violates the first amendment in my view.

I think my roommate summed up the first amendment nicely when he said something to the effect of this:

"I became a Marine because although I don't like flag burning, I am willing to fight for your right to burn it if you want to."

killerwhalesrule19 said: "Why did he not say God? Does he not like the name or the person itself that we know in our hearts that exists?"

No - what YOU BELIEVE, in YOUR heart that exists.

This is an example of why the first amendment exists right here. Please speak for yourself - we means speaking for at least two people does it not? Since that we might include me...

I say this trying to keep church and yahoo answers separate - I believe in God, but I'll make my own statement to that effect.

2007-01-15 04:26:28 · answer #5 · answered by Justin 5 · 0 0

When I was in High School a friend of mine brought an Australian cousin of his to school as some culture field trip While his cousin visit the states. My homeroom teacher kicked his cousin out of the class because he wouldn't say the Pledge Of Allegiance.

I'm sure that gave him a great outlook on American culture.

2007-01-15 01:15:14 · answer #6 · answered by NONAME 2 · 3 0

What did he say instead? Seriously, no school will really suspend just for leaving "God" out of the pledge. They're too scared of being sued. He had to have said something else. Mind telling the whole story?

2007-01-15 01:19:17 · answer #7 · answered by sister steph 6 · 0 0

Just because people can make you do things does not make it fair or right. But unfairness, and how you deal with it, is what prepares and tests you.

Standing up for one's beliefs, and that includes dealing with the punishment it entails, is something most people forget is a part of how a virtuous character is forged. Tell your cousin that, like him, Jesus was punished by others for not being the right kind of 'religion' in his time too, so its actually kinda interesting to think about who is being more a 'follower' in this context?

Bad things happen, unfair things happen; just because they are 'sanctioned' by the guise of religion does not make them any less wrong.

2007-01-15 01:20:46 · answer #8 · answered by Khnopff71 7 · 0 0

No, it isn't fair, and it also isn't legal. I have no idea if you are telling the truth or not, but if his parents wanted to pursue it, they could probably get his teacher to not do that again. What if the kid was a Muslim? If you want to say it voluntarily that's fine - being compulsory is not.

2007-01-15 01:14:46 · answer #9 · answered by Paul H 6 · 2 0

Not in a public school.Usually the discrimination goes the other way.

2007-01-15 03:17:51 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 0 0

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