are all children forced to say the pledge of allegence? even if they are of a different ethnic religion?
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2007-02-17 12:42:56 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Nobody ever forced me, I just stood there wondering if all the other kids actually believed what they were saying.
Do they still recite it? Of course they do.
2007-02-17 12:49:33 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what you mean by "ethnic religion". Ethnicity and religoin are two different things.
In any case, there have been different cases where it was decided that forcing (and that's the key word here) one to recite the pledge was against the first amendment. But even during the periods of time when classes were supposedly required to have the pledge, it wasn't always enforced.
Whether or not the pledge includes the two words "under god" (which was not part of the original pledge, but in fact inserted in the 1950s during the communist scare), I still find it disturbing to force kids to stand beside their desk, put their right hand over their heart, and recite a mandatory oath while facing a symbol. Sounds rather Orwellian to me.
2007-02-17 20:55:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The under god stuff is part of the pledge. It has been since the Mcarthyism of the 50's. I always just stood up and didn't say that particular part of it. I never made a huge production, or statement out of it, but I also never hid what I was doing. No one ever seemed to have a problem with it.
2007-02-17 20:47:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I actually went to that trial when it was at the Supreme Court... They ruled that the father could not bring the case to court since he did not have custody...Currently, "under God" is still in the Pledge but many schools are trying to relax their policies on it in fear of it being challenged again...
2007-02-17 20:48:02 · answer #4 · answered by Eleventy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, they cannot be forced to recite that portion of the pledge, nor the pledge itself.
I had teachers try to intimidate me into saying it until I pointed out that my first amendment rights as much prohibit them from silencing me as well as forcing me to speak words I didn't agree with.
2007-02-17 20:46:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They aren't forced to, and they can leave out that line if they choose. But it's still ridiculous to leave it in there, because it's unfair to those kids. My point of view is, by not keeping that line in there, it's not saying you don't believe in God, so what's the point in keeping it? We shouldn't display ourselves as an exclusively Christian country.
2007-02-17 20:48:42 · answer #6 · answered by Hotaru 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
"Forced" in terms of "you WILL say this or be expelled" -- no.
But "forced" in terms of "say it or be different and therefore vulnerable" -- yes, in many places that's the case. Peer pressure and conformity are dreadful things for adults, and much worse for children.
2007-02-17 20:56:22 · answer #7 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religion implies a God...
2007-02-17 20:47:14 · answer #8 · answered by Jedi Baptist 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They aren't forced to say it, but they are forced to subject themselves to ridicule by not saying it.
It will eventually be ruled unconstitutional.
2007-02-17 20:54:09 · answer #9 · answered by Sun: supporting gay rights 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as they are int the USA, it should remain "under God". If they or their parents, or teachers, or friends, or whoever objects---then they should leave the USA.
2007-02-17 20:48:44 · answer #10 · answered by Terrence J 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋