Church & State - Freedom & Democracy

Category: Africa, Life & Society Topics: Church, Democracy Values: Freedom Views: 2723
2723

A court in California declared the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because the phrase "one nation under God" violates the separation of church and state. One of the Judges claimed that the words "one nation under God" are just as objectionable as a statement that "we are a nation 'under Jesus,' a nation 'under Vishnu,' a nation 'under Zeus,' or a nation 'under no god,'" because none of the statements are neutral with respect to religion. This radical ruling is a result of a lawsuit filed in by an atheist whose daughter was subjected to the Pledge of Allegiance in her school.

The federal court rules that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is an unconstitutional "endorsement of religion" and claims that US Congress has put the words "under God" in the Constitution as recently as in 1954 during the McCarthy era. The people in power at the time believed that these words could root out Communists as they would refuse to utter them. 

The ruling set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where Senators passed a unanimous resolution condemning the ruling. Dozens of House members gathered on the Capitol steps to recite the pledge and sing "God Bless America." The entire leadership from all corners of the hall including the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue recorded their sentiments as follows:

  • "I hope the Senate will waste no time in throwing this decision back in the face of these stupid judges. That's what they are, stupid." 
  • "This highlights what the fight over federal judges is all about. We do need to put judges on there that would not render this kind of decision."
  • "The view of the White House is that this was a wrong decision, and the Department of Justice is now evaluating how to seek redress,"

The issue of separation between Church & State is beyond the scope of this article but everyone may arguably agree that unbridled freedom and absolute democracy invariably results in such harmful expressions, may they be in the form of judicial rulings or street promiscuity. All human endeavors need and require a system that can protect all people all the time regardless of their color, ethnicity, faith, etc. Humanity is yet to devise such a system of guarantees.

The One Creator has advised the living and dead Legislators, Senators and the Presidents & the citizenry of the entire race of humanity to chant with every breath in our lives that "There is no god but He! On Him is my trust, and to Him do I turn!"
(The Holy Quran 13:30)

Muslims believe that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Let us begin our Jihad (strive & struggle) together, to establish the virtues as ordained by the Divine in this life and then pray and hope for some peaceful rest in the shadow of the Divine, in the Hereafter.


  Category: Africa, Life & Society
  Topics: Church, Democracy  Values: Freedom
Views: 2723

Related Suggestions

 
COMMENTS DISCLAIMER & RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
The opinions expressed herein, through this post or comments, contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of IslamiCity. These are offered as a means for IslamiCity to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of being an educational organization. The IslamiCity site may occasionally contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. IslamiCity is making such material available in its effort to advance understanding of humanitarian, education, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and such (and all) material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.


Older Comments:
ABUBAKAR MOHAMMED FROM NIGERIA said:
Alhamdulillah Allah is great we thank him for the Islamic faith which is straith forward. No ambiguity.
2011-08-27

M SHOAIB AYUBI FROM USA said:
You have quoted a beautiful verse on this issue as result of the Court ruling. As a believer in one God, I am for praise be to Lord in any form is acceptable particularly "Under God". It does not contradict Islamic teaching at all. God is of all ,He is not confined to one religion or faith. However, I must say that Muslims ought to practice what we want other people to learn from Holy Quran, Equality , justice ,freedom are the halmark of Islamic teachings.
2002-07-04

BASIL ABDUL KHABIR FROM UNITED SNAKES OF AMERICA (THE COUNTRY OF SHAITAN) said:
This country kill,steal,and lie using those same words "under God". As muslims we should not get into there affairs and strengthen ourselves to be Allah's vicegerant and teach these so called americans how to live.
2002-07-04

MUIBI ADE SALAMI FROM USA said:
Jazakunmu'LLAH Khairan - May ALLA reward you
2002-07-03

KADIRI SHAMSIDEEN FROM NIGERIA said:
All praise be to Allah the Lord of the Alamin may he Continue to Shower his blessing on the noble Prophet Muhammed (SAW)

I received the two islamicit bulletin that you send to my mail on Quiet Summer Days - Good For Reflection and Church & State - Freedom & Democracy, and I am very gratify for giving me that opportunity. I love all the message that I received from the church and state - freedom and democeacy, I think new message have been added to my live.

Till I here from you

Ma'll sallam
shamsideen
2002-07-03

AMAN KHAN FROM ENGLAND said:
i think that islam sets good boundarys to follow and the thing about being equal ht english people dont get it, but if one foolows islam then i know the world will inshalla be a better place. (100%)

aman khan
2002-07-03

CHRISTINE MASOUD FROM UNITED STATES said:
i have heard the comments about removing "one nation under god" on september 11, when many muslims bombed our twin towers and many of our innocent people died , and i repeat they said they were dying for their allah , we were in great shock calling all our loved ones in new york , this was done because of the foolishness of religion , religion is the root to all evil , i am a christian living by the example of christ and yet you dont see christians bombing anything do you ? this is because we are living by the example of christ not 1oo's of prophets i am a second generation egyptian , but yet to get to the piont on september 11 our nation and everyone who cared (unlike muslims who were joyous in the streets ) stood up and united and said god bless america in public schools everyone said god bless america and we united and prayyed for the horrid event that happened to our nation because of religion , i pray for all of the people who say to remove under god because it is under god why we are here not because of religion or your prophets but because of god and we wonder why our nation is gettting destroyed because religion has taking over and we have pushed the almighty god aside so i leave you with the comment saying leave the american pledge alone under god is how we should live and how we will die .
2002-07-02

TAJUDDEEN 'ABDUL 'AZEEZ ALABEDE FROM NIGERIA said:
LIBERALISM RUN AMOK

The recent decision of a Federal Court in the United States declaring the clause "under God" in the National Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional clearly shows how poisonous and deadly liberalism can be. The liberals glorify human liberty and freedom as an end in itself. It is self-evident how liberal thought has bred libertarian life.

Liberalism, which is rooted in secularism and reinforced by individualism, has as its goal the divorce of human society from God. To atheistic liberalism man is totally free from any supernatural Power: he is on his own. Its righteousness is not of God. Human reason is its blind guide. The fanatical liberals want God to be banished from public discourses, from our tongue, from our writings and from our doings. A mention of God arouses their sensibilities rather than pricks their conscience.

While this writer is no fan of blind nationalism which the Pledge may invoke, the grouse is against those few deviants who use humanism as a platform to attack the real essence of humanity and human heritage. Man has a heritage of Godliness. Man is from God and unto God he shall return. Even our limited freedom is of God. Man did not give himself freedom, he only discovered it along the line in his real-life experience.

Any anti - God freedom is no freedom, it is anarchy. Man must learn that he is not unto himself God; he is everywhere constrained, more so by those forces beyond his control. Our world is not one under man but one under God.


2002-07-02

CHARLES HOLCOMB FROM USA said:
Why do we quibble over the name of the One God?
Do we not have the same God, regardless of name?
God is God!
2002-07-02

DUSMAMAT FROM UZBEKISTAN said:
I think that Islam is natural way of live
2002-07-02

MUHAMMAD WASEEM CHOUDHARY YOUSAF FROM ENGLAND said:
May allah bless you sll, you speak nothing but the truth.
2002-07-02

SHAIKHSULAIMAN FROM INDIA said:
Salaamun Alaikum !
Thank you very much for your islamic site. almighty allah bless your all activities.
Yours in islam ,
Shaikh sulaiman -Qary-B.A> and arabic software consultant.
2002-07-02

OSMAN AHMED OKYERE FROM GHANA said:
Asalaam Alaikum,
This shows how "Kafrism" can take mankind far away from his creator . INshallah very soon somebody will come out to challenge that the inscription " In God We Trust " on the dollar violates his constitutional rights . And other "rights" fighters would pop thier heads up .This would be the work of Allah on a Kafr nation.
SAlaam Alaikum.
Ahmed
2002-07-02

HAKEEM YUSUF FROM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA said:
As-salaam 'alaikum
I think that the decision by the judges in California was a correct judgment. If the United States Constitution says that the government will not endorse any religion, then why did they add the words "one nation under God"? Clearly the "God" that they are talking about is from the Christian/Biblical point of view and we know that the Christians take 'Esaa('alaihis-salaam) as their god above Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala). If the Constitution says the establishment of church and state are to be seperate, than why the contidiction with the Pledge. The pledge does not say "one nation under Allah" so in my opinion it doesn't include anyone but Christians.

Salaam
2002-07-01

MOHIDEEN BAWA FROM SRI LANKA said:
MUSLIMS SHOULD USE THEIR BRAINS NOT STONES OR GUNS OR HUMAN BODY

CHOICE SIMPLE WAYS AND METHODS TO CONFRONT ANY KIND OF INJUSTICE
2002-07-01

MOHAMED ABDI FROM UK said:
I am greatfull for the literature that you sent to me.keep up brothers this great dawa.wasalaam.
2002-07-01

SAFEENA RAAGIL FROM USA said:
All praises are due to Allah.

I really enjoyed this article. It was well written and timely
2002-06-30

AYESHA FROM USA said:
IslamiCity is really a wonderful site. There are lots of things to learn in this site. Thank you very much for providing so many important informations. May Allah (SWT) bless all of us and show us the right path of deen.
2002-06-30

JANET BRADEN FROM U.S.A. said:
Thank you for the information on when the phrase "under God" was put in the pledge and why it was put there. It does not surprise me, though. The 'powers that be' are oblivious to the fact that this country is fast losing its majority Christian status. The hyprocrisy here is that the 'majority' do NOT attend church and the most that do, don't 'live their religion' or act on it. Thanks again for the info.
2002-06-30

ALEX NODOPAKA FROM USA said:
It is of utmost danger for mankind to follow but one inexorable decree, one ruler, one philosophy, one of anything. All these are created by man and man is fallible. Evolution is based on change and any one idea dies and becomes fossilized with time.
2002-06-30

WHIT WHITTLESEY FROM USA said:
--The Muslim world and I have convergent interests
2002-06-29

REBECCA BUEHLER FROM U.S. said:
Bravo!!
2002-06-29

JASEEM PASHA FROM USA said:
Christians believe that Jesus is God and son of
God, whatever. Suppose they put the phrase, "we
are a nation 'under Jesus,", what would be the
position of Muslims? Should Muslims protest
against that since it is violation of their faith
and imposition on Muslims who are asked to declare
the pledge of allegiance? And if it is truly an
imposition, then Muslims would clearly have right
to oppose this. In the same vein, would it be
imposition on atheists and violation of their
rights if they were forced to say "under One God"?
Should Muslims support their rights also? After
all uniform preservation of minority rights will
ensure Muslims' rights in
2002-06-29

ISSAM EL JUNDI FROM GUINEA said:
As much as I do not agree with the federal court judgement, as much as I support them. This is a ruling based on the constitution of the USA and not God's. A constitution that is written by human beings to outline the law of a human nation. Secularism is being forced on so many countries by nonseculars and 'secular' US Governments. It is now time that one should practice what he preaches! If USA can abolish this non-secular ruling, then USA should let other nations choose what they choose, be it secular or non-secular.
2002-06-29

PORTAL said:
The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.

Upon whom the Lord desires, will the burden of striving fall. Upon whom the Lord desires, will the "peace which surpasses all understanding" fall.

To imagine otherwise is to somehow believe that the Lord who created you and every other man, is not aware of some aspect of your life. Does the Lord not hear sometimes when you pray? Or is it that He hears and knows everything, and it is your heart that convicts you, and therefore He responds according to the desires of your heart, and not the words you speak or the appearance of your actions? Behold, a world of self-compromised people warring with other self-compromised people, such are the desires of their hearts.
2002-06-29

KHALED ZAYED FROM USA said:
assalamu alikum, I am just woundring what islamic city do about these anti islamic media and the bad programing that give the wrong ideas about islam? for the last couple of weeks i have been watching foxs channel and msnbc, they have talke shows that always lie to the public. we need to do something to defend our religion and explain to people what real Islam is.
thank you and assalamu alikum.
2002-06-29