Critical Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Critical Response - Essay Example Also, the author points out the similarity of the case to the inclusion of the phrase â€Å"In God we trust† in the United States dollar; however, Wilde distinguishes this similarity as inverted as she contends that the focus is absolutely different: the In God we trust in US dollar is employed for business undertakings while under God in the Pledge of Allegiance is used in recitation of loyalty. While the author makes manifold convincing points in her article, there are three most salient points that should not be overlooked: (1) the phrase â€Å"under God† is descriptive of something; and that description, while does not attempt to establish a religion, creates a link to the deeply-embedded Christian heritage of America; (2) that â€Å"under God† and â€Å"In God do we trust† are phrases that are used distinctively for very different purposes; (3) Many Americans do not believe in God; as a matter of fact, â€Å"70 or 80% of the Americans are atheistâ₠¬  (Wilde 2). Therefore, there is more reason for the rewording of the Pledge of Allegiance as not everyone is willing to identify themselves with the included phrase. â€Å"Under God† is descriptive of something and it is divisive Since 1954, the Pledge of Allegiance reads: â€Å"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all† (Djupe 329). Wilde is persuasive in the fact that the phrase â€Å"under God† is descriptive of something; and that description is something ironical to the intention of the pledge: notice the phrases â€Å"with Liberty and Justice for all† – the First Amendment of the United States constitution strongly prohibits the establishment of religion in any law that the Congress would intend to create. In this regard, it can be observed every American citizen, whether an permanent resident or a citizen, sh ould be given complete justice and liberty, including religious liberty and the right to exercise their religious freedom; nevertheless, the fact that the Pledge of Allegiance is for every American citizen to recite, whether they are willing to do it or not, it breaks the intention of the pledge that there is justice and liberty for all considering that not everyone believes in God and yet everyone are deemed to recite it. Even if they choose to be silent in the phrase when reciting the pledge, why should they be silent in the first place? While Chief Justice Rehnquist calls the phrase â€Å"under God† as a â€Å"descriptive phrase†, he was not able to specify what the phrase is describing. Granting that the Chief Justice was right, for the sake of argument, it could then be inferred that the phrase is descriptive of monotheism - something that denies many non-Christian Americans to conform to the law; and thus, a political harassment of some sort. Since it is a pledge intended for the people of the United States of America, then no one is exempted from it, including atheists. By and large, the wordings have fallen short of the real character of America: a land that is free. How can a country that claims to be free, with â€Å"Justice and Liberty for all† would make an act that is discordant for its people? The solution may be just be a revision of the pledge itself and nothing more. â€Å"