Throughout grade school I had to stand, face the flag, place my right hand over my heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I did not think much of it at the time, just a few minutes less of class work, I thought.
In fact, during junior high, I was graded not only on being able to say the Pledge alone in front of the class, but also on how well I could dictate the national anthem. As I emerged into high school, the Pledge was no longer required, even though before each athletic event we heard the national anthem over the loud speaker. Many, if not all, would stand and face the flag out of common respect -- but out of respect, not obligation.
A new bill adopted by the Indiana General Assembly which was signed into law recently by Gov. Mitch Daniels, states that schools will be required to display a U.S. flag in each classroom, and the Pledge of Allegiance will be recited daily in each school. Students who do not wish to recite the Pledge can instead observe a moment of silence, according to the law.
I remember an argument that came up last semester in my sociology of religion class when this question was posed: "Should the state require students to pledge their allegiance to the flag in schools?"
Some members of my class decided that nothing was wrong with mandating the oath. However, others in the class, including myself, had different beliefs. We argued that something is lost when you are forced to practice an act without first experiencing the importance of that act independently. Students should learn the importance of the Pledge, why it was written and the history behind the words. That study should even be encouraged. But pledging to the flag in a state institution is what some scholars refer to as a "civil religion" and is in conflict with the separation of church and state.
When we think of the separation of church and state, we tend to think that the state is not a religious institution, like that of a Christian church, or a Jewish synagogue. But civil religion is defined as a set of beliefs and rituals that unites a society. Examples of rituals like these are the observance of national holidays, proper display of the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
In a free society, rituals of any kind are voluntary. So forcing our children to perform a ritual -- such as pledging to the flag -- are we not turning the state itself into a religion when we practice these rituals so vigorously? And if we are, what happens when that religion becomes questioned?
When this questioning happens, many take offense because they consider it deviant and disobedient. Charles Kimball in his book, "When Religion Becomes Evil," writes, "Blind obedience is a sure sign of trouble. The likelihood of religion becoming evil is greatly diminished when there is freedom for individual thinking and when honest inquiry is encouraged."
Pledging allegiance never felt like prayer to me. The difference is, when I pray, I am never forced to do it in a certain way, and I certainly do not get graded on it.
It is far more profound to perform an act of obedience if we know why we are doing it. Oscar Wilde said it brilliantly: "A man who does not think for himself does not think at all. To believe is very dull. To doubt is intensely engrossing. To be on the alert is to live; to be lulled into security is to die."
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