Verified Document

America God Bless America or Is It Term Paper

America God Bless America

(or is it still all right to say that?)

The Limitation of Judeo-Christian Beliefs

by Liberal Interpretations of the Law

In the interests of preserving the civil rights of all Americans, legislation over the past few decades has mandated a conspicuous absence of Christian or Jewish symbols, prayers or teachings from public places: the classroom, the sports arena, the courts, public buildings of all sorts. Yet followers of these faiths make up the majority of Americans. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, and the previous shocking incidences of student violence at Columbine and other schools, Americans feel the need for increased, rather than decreased, emphasis on religion in the classroom and everywhere their children go. What can be done to protect the rights of these citizens to observe the dictates of their beliefs in their daily walk of life outside of their homes and places of worship?

God Bless America

(or is it still all right to say that?)

The Limitation of Judeo-Christian Beliefs

by Liberal Interpretations of the Law

After the shocking incidence of student violence at Columbine High School and other subsequent events, a great number of American parents wondered if the abolition of religious instruction and observance in our schools helped to bring about such misguided behavior. Gone were the days when students began the school day with the Lord's Prayer, for example; the Ten Commandments were no longer displayed in the hallways or classrooms. With the best of liberal intentions (the desire to avoid making children of religions other than Christianity or Judaism feel excluded), America had legislated the teachings of the Bible out of the public education system. In retrospect, was America reaping a dreadful harvest, as her children demonstrated moral vacuity?

The Religious Freedom Amendment introduced by Rep. Ernest Istook (Republican, Oklahoma) brought the debate front and center over whether the church has a role in the public realm of such places as the schools, sports and the courts. If passed, this amendment would have superceded the Supreme Court ruling on such issues as public school prayer,...

Although the vote in the House was in favor of the amendment by 224 to 203, the required two-thirds majority was not achieved.
The Istook Amendment has been widely perceived as a vehicle for the Religious Right to promote mainstream Christianity over the interests of other religions. For this reason, the powerful Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism, fought the passage of the Istook Amendment. In the 1998 Annual Report of the ADL, their position is summed up as follows: "Although ADL understood that many parents believe an increased religious presence in schools can help teach moral values to their children, the League argued that the 'cure', in this instance, was far worse than the disease. 'The majority religion in each school,' said ADL, 'would inevitably choose which faith to follow' -- which in many American schools would mean Christianity, at the expense of other faiths."

The powerful lobby of the Catholic Church refrained from supporting the Istook Amendment, perhaps for similar reasons and also in part because the separate school system permits the Roman Catholic Church greater freedom to establish a religious presence within the classroom.

Other adversaries include the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a religious liberty watchdog group representing 60,000 members and allied houses of worship in all fifty states.

The argument against the Istook Amendment goes beyond the possible dominance of mainstream Christianity over minority religions; other issues are the perceived threats to the First Amendment's separation of Church and State, allocation of public funds for religious purposes, and increased benefits to members of the majority religion over the average citizen.

The First Amendment states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William Rehnquist, in Wallace v. Jaffree, 472 U.S. 38 (1985) says, "The 'wall of separation between church and State' is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide in…

Sources used in this document:
References

Rep. Ernest J. Istook, Jr. (1999). The Religious Freedom Amendment. http://religiousfreedom.house.gov/

Anti-Defamation League Annual Report (1998). Protecting Civil Rights. http://www.adl.org/annual_report/1998

Americans United for Separation of Church and State (1999). Rep. Istook Reintroduces Constitutional Amendment on School Prayer. http://www.au.org/press

Boston, R. (1998, July). Istook Amendment Defeated. Church and State, 51, pg. 8-10
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

God and Creation
Words: 4562 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

God and Creation Has the concept of God well and truly woven itself into the very psyche of the average American citizen? What exactly does the average American think about God? As a matter of fact, each and every American must take some time to sit back and think deeply about these issues, and also pay close attention to the power and influence of God in the history of America. Perhaps

God's Activity in Men's Lives God's Active
Words: 1284 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

God's Activity In Men's Lives God's Active Role How many people look for God's activity in their lives, and never come up with the evidence? Yet, in the lives of Mary Rowlandson, and Ben Franklin, they recognized the working of The Almighty in their every day circumstances. Maybe it was that they didn't look for God to prove himself to them, but they acknowledged that the Almighty God is always at work.

Family Values in Urban America Judeo-Christian Perspective Versus...
Words: 3284 Length: 11 Document Type: Term Paper

Family Values in Urban America: Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective Background of family values in the American society Judeo-Christian perspective on family values Secular perspective on family values Judeo-Christian Perspective vs. Secular Perspective The topic of this paper is family values in urban America and it is from the analysis of the family values that the study intends to draw out a difference between the Judeo-Christian perspective and the secular perspective

Luigi Persico's "Discovery of America"
Words: 3379 Length: 11 Document Type: Term Paper

This intervention by U.S. In a foreign country, in literal words, changed the course of history for the whole world and still its outcomes are yet, to be decided. The attack on U.S. By Al-Qaeda, on 11th September, 1998, changed the course of American paradigm of Muslims and gave a strong cause for George Bush's "War against Terrorism." Where thousands of American citizens died in Twin Towers, so did the

Rudolfo A. Anaya's Book, Bless
Words: 1261 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Important in attempts to ban Bless Me, Ultima, are arguments that the book promotes witchcraft and worship of the devil. The book focuses on Ultima, a curandera, who works with herbs and can heal the sick and exorcise evil. However, it is clear throughout Bless Me, Ultima that the character of Ultima is a force of good, but that she is sometimes mislabeled as a witch. Thus, while witchcraft is

Worship of God and Discipline
Words: 8250 Length: 18 Document Type: Term Paper

" Owen maintains that it is not important that people engage in the particular actions Jesus engaged in, like washing another's feet, but instead that people strive to express their moral duty of brotherly love, in condescension and mutual helpfulness. The fourteenth question posed by Owen is, "May not the church find out, and appoint to be observed, such religious rites as being adjoined unto the celebration of God's instituted worship,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now