...but a loud roar in the air. It was like a wait before a trial hearing, where you really didn’t know what to expect until the evidence was all laid out. When her mother appeared in Mr. Jones’s office, the air stood still and no one could seem to look away. The snickering and mutters of the adults in the office buzzed about as Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jones were at war with words. “Don’t you ever think you can just arrest my daughter for not standing and saying something she has no knowledge or belief in!! I swear you better have a damn good apology for my daughter!,” Yelled Mrs. Smith as she rushed her daughter from the building. 1.) The United States of America was founded by European immigrants who sought to escape political persecution and for the freedom to practice their individual religious beliefs (Hamby, 2005, p.11). a. America was founded on the belief that all Americans should have religious freedom; however, "A sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention...
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...There are many kinds of clubs, societies, and groups of people who come together as Americans and enjoy the rights granted to them by the U.S. Constitution. Whether they use their freedom of speech to protest abortion, freedom of press to attack gay rights, or freedom of religion to form a church, they all enjoy it without being threatened by their government. These rights are the basis of the American government. No one can take them away, and the American people are quick to support one who has these rights violated. While they are alright with after-school clubs meeting in public school buildings, when clubs with religious beliefs try to access one of these buildings they often want to deny them the right to use the building because of...
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...agree on the basic principles of America: freedom, equal opportunity, and rights accompanied by responsibilities.” (Nelson, n.d., quote 1). From a personal perspective this quote can be interpreted as, while many individuals might have a personal opinion or definition of what it means to be an American, there is still a clear foundation in which it is built upon. It is viewed that it is the rights, freedoms, and opportunities for all, and with those liberties also comes a responsibility to all individuals. Such responsibilities to ourselves and others include moral obligations, ethical behavior, and respect. As members of society, there are situations that may be difficult that...
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...Religion in the Public Schools: Public Prayer or Private Action? The differences between private and government sponsored religious speech can be difficult, but necessary to determine when dealing with religion in the public school system. In Kountze Texas, a group of cheerleaders are suing the school district because a ban was placed on their usage of religious banners before the local public school’s football games. The cheerleaders created banners, like many high school cheerleaders do, but the message painted on their signs were statements such as, “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” The messages on the banners are religious speech and a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Yes, the United States Constitution does allow for the freedom of religion, but it also separates Church and State. The cheerleaders painted these signs for a school organized football game; the educational institution is a public one and must abide by the United States Constitution and the separation of church and state. If the school were private, religious connotations would be permissible, but being that the school is public, the signs created by the cheerleaders would be considered government sanctioned. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment states, “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Throughout our nations history there has been much debate of what the framers of the Constitution meant by establishment...
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...years whether prayer in public schools should be permitted. For more than 200 years, public schools were allowed voluntary prayer. Our forefathers built our nation on Christian values. The first English settlers came to America for the right to freedom and to worship God in their own way. In Colonial America, most schools were run by the churches. The first settlers in America felt that it was important that children learned to read so that they could read their Bibles. Prayer has been a part of our culture as long as there have been public schools; this helped the students develop morals and learn right from wrong. School prayer was a natural part of the settler’s school life. There is a casual relationship between taking prayer out of our schools and the downfall of our society today. The basic dispute over this issue is that it violates The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and the separation of church and state. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives every individual the same rights. One right is the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. The second right is prohibition of the establishment of religion by the state. The founders of the constitution recognized the freedom of religion as an important factor in establishing a democracy. They also recognized freedom between government and the people. Our founding fathers had no intentions of divorcing prayer from government-much less from our children in...
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...BELONG IN PARLIAMENT? AN EXAMINATION OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION PROVISIONS IN PUBLIC BODIES IN NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, AND THE UNITED STATES by ELIZABETH G. FOX 28 August 2009 1 I INTRODUCTION New Zealand does not have a state religion in the way that other countries do.1 The Church of England, for example, has its doctrine and prayer book ratified by Parliament and has the Queen as supreme authority over both ecclesiastical and civil matters.2 However, the central legislators of this country listen to the Speaker of the House open each Parliamentary session with the following prayer.3 Almighty God, humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Is this appropriate in a country that professes no state church and the tolerance of all religions equally?4 Religious content has historically infiltrated governing and administrative bodies. However, with the cultural disestablishment of Christianity and the emergence of toleration for all faiths, there continues to be the presence and preference of a small set of religions by the State. The degree to which religion interacts with the State varies with different public...
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...Each year the United States consistently became more and more diversified, and has now become one of the most pluralistic nations in the world, with over 2,000 different religions and denominations spread throughout. “Even within Christianity, the diversity and range of belief is startling” (Boston 1). Therefore, it should come as no surprise that students and teachers attending public school systems come from various religious backgrounds. Still, however, many public schools favor Christianity over all other religions. This has only caused several citizens of the United States to take the educational facilities to court, and fight against the constitutionality of teacher led and student led prayer in public schools. Throughout the past 20 years, many states have made it illegal for teachers to lead prayer in public schools, and have tried to take religion out of the public schools entirely. The government scrutinizes teachers with its many laws and regulations to ensure that they will follow the First Amendment. Ironically, as the government remains to oppress teachers with enforcing many laws, it makes it harder for them to live within the boundaries of the First...
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...Diego Salinas, Matt Hammer, and Daniel Mishkin Facts The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of Grievances.” Numerous cases discuss whether corporations have First Amendment rights, however only few cases discuss whether the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment applies to corporations. In Central Hudson v. PSC (1980) and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects corporations’ commercial speech and political speech, respectively. In Santa Clara Company v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) the court ruled that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies to corporations. The issue of whether the Affordable Care Act violates individuals’ rights to Free Exercise of Religion has also been a hotly debated topic. The Supreme Court Case Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah (1993) discussed whether the government can give ordinances that violate an individual’s right to Free Exercise. The Supreme Court Case Shervert v. Verner (1963) showed that a company cannot not provide an employee with compensation benefits if it interferes with the employee’s right to Free Exercise. Issue Should corporations receive...
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...made in the past have laid the foundation of education today, as will recent changes affect the future. Programs such as choice schooling and No Child Left Behind will impact school funding. Rulings such as the Lemon Test and separation of church and state will impact decisions that can potentially result in litigation and court rulings dictating educational decisions. In his work regarding educational trends, Kenneth Stevenson (2010) stated, “a continuing recession, escalating political polarization, rising racial/ethnic tensions, a growing national debt, and a widening divide between the haves and the have nots portend a future fraught with unprecedented challenges to and clashes over the form and substance of public education in America” (p.1). Analysis of the Lemon Test The Lemon Test was created by Chief Justice Warren Berger as a result of the court case Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) and is based on the principles stated in Everson v. Board of Education. The case of Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) centered on Rhode Island’s Salary Supplement Act. This act approved a salary supplement of up to fifteen percent for teachers who taught secular subjects in private religious schools or non-public elementary schools. The courts determined that approximately twenty-five percent of Rhode Island’s students attended non-public schools. Furthermore, ninety-five percent of the parochial schools were Roman Catholic. Pennsylvania offered a similar program that reimbursed non-public schools...
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...Zachary Schuessler Carolyn Lieberg English Composition Final April 21, 2011 The United States Of America Verses Gay Marriage. The Land of the Free, or the home of the bigot? Today many Americans enjoy a level of freedom that is, and has been, an unheard of luxury, by both past and present standards, around the World. However, these freedoms have not always been afforded to minority groups without a fight. One of these issues, the right for homosexual couples to marry. Is, and has been, a hot button topic that, for over a decade has caused political, religious, and personal turmoil in the mainstream fabric of American culture. The goal of this paper, through research and facts, is to show the ugly discriminatory, and unconstitutional, factors that have gone into blocking homosexual couples the right to a loving marriage. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. However, it seems congress has made a law respecting an established religion, and that law is affecting the rights of millions of American Citizens. The law in question is the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA is unconstitutional as the law has clearly been written with respect to the belief systems of an established religion. As Americans it is our responsibility to make sure that this law is changed to meet the confines of the United States Constitution, and to bring equality to all. The Defense of marriage act...
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...other students in Omaha, Nebraska requested to form a Christian bible study group in which they intended to hold meetings after school hours, on school grounds. To their surprise, the principal denied their request. He claimed that it was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In 1990, Bridget Mergens challenged her school’s decision to deny her request to form a religion based group on school grounds, and with the help of her lawyer, took them to court. There were mixed emotions about the Westside Vs. Mergens case, some siding with Mergens, while others chose the opposing opinion that the religious beliefs that are practiced within the group will directly affect the image of the school itself. Justice Thurgood Marshall writes that “The introduction of religious speech into the public schools reveals the tension between the Free Speech and Establishment Clauses, because the failure of a school to stand apart from religious speech can convey a message that the school endorses, rather than merely tolerates, that speech.”...
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...Week 1 * Do you trust the government to do the right things most of the time? It’s all really based on you opinion * a 2000 study of undergraduates showed that 64% did not trust the government Why do we care if people are turning out to vote? * Voter turnout is a sign of political efficacy as well as engagement * People who are engaged are more informed, more likely to communicate with their representatives, more likely to advocate for their interests, and hold public officials accountable for their actions. Political culture * The people’s collective beliefs and attitudes about government and political processes * What is it that binds us together as Americans? * Our political ideologies * Our political values – liberty, capitalism, equality, consent of the governed, individualism Ideology * Political ideology is an integrated system of ideas or beliefs about political values in general and the role of the government in particular * Ideology provides a framework for thinking about politics and policy preferences Ideologies * Modern liberalism is associated with ideas of liberty and political equality: * Tend to favor chance in social, political and economic realms to better protect individuals and produce equality What is the constitution? * Fundamental principles of a government and the basic structures and procedures Two US Constitutions * Articles of confederation ( 1781-1789) * Constitution of...
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...Religion and Politics and the effect of religion in America For a virtuous instance of how religion affects politics in our current world we need not look very distant but rather look around you. The influence of Catholicism on Latin American politics, and the role religion plays on Middle Eastern politics have had a profound affect in those related societies. After examining the effects of religion into the above mentioned societies it is clear that the introduction of religion into politics has proven to be suppressive and counterproductive to most third world countries, and various subcultures in first world countries. A very well known writer and scholar on the history of Egypt, Budge, E. A. Wallis, "Egyptian Religion and Society: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)". Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Wrote, “Most scholars have concluded that, in later times at least, there was no close personal tie between the individual Egyptian and the gods, that the gods remained aloof, that their relationship to humans was indirect, communicated to him by means of the king”. We must remember that there was no established book or set of teachings, as the Bible or the Qur'an, and few prescribed conditions of behavior or conduct. Humans were guided essentially by human wisdom and trusted in their belief in the goodness of the gods and of their divine son, the king. An important concept in Egyptian life was the idea of justice. Although the Egyptian was entirely...
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...Prayer in School Katrina, Anthony, and Tab October 5, 2011 BCOM/275 Prayer in School Throughout our society, prayer in school has become extinct. Prayer is a form of communication or a way of talking to God or other saints (Richert, N.D.). Although prayer in school may focus on religion, violate the first amendment, and separation of church and state, there are both advantages and disadvantages of prayer in our schools. Being that we are a diverse society and everyone has his or her own personal opinion on prayer in our schools; it still remains one of the most controversial issues today. The decision to take prayer out of public schools has become one of the most controversial issues throughout our society. The argument of whether or not prayer should be allowed in public schools is still misunderstood. When determining whether or not prayer should be allowed in public schools, it is important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages. In our society, 90% of America’s youngsters attend public schools. The children that attend public schools come from homes that espouse a variety of religious and philosophical beliefs (www.au.org). The pros and cons of prayer in public schools are not a cut and dry issue. There are many avenues to this matter. Pros arguments that have been expressed by people that approve of prayer in schools argue to banish prayer takes away the student’s freedom and molds them to be like non-religious students (www.religioninschools...
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...evolving constitutional system, including political parties and interests groups, strengthen fair and effective representation of the people? Article I, Section 2, Clause 1 “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.” I think this clause best addresses this question the best because I think of the House of Representatives as one of the lower “classes of the governmental system, yet citizens still have the option to choose their representatives. When...
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