Shawn Gaston - "One Nation under God"

Religion is a very touchy subject because of the belief that schools are institutions that contain innocent young minds that are vulnerable to doctrination. Throughout the years, religion in education has become less and less prominent mainly due to the interpretation of church and state. Prayer in schools has to be voluntary by the students, not initiated by the teachers; therefore, many schools have a moment of silence each day. In some schools, it is not mandatory for students to salute the American flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance because of the statement “One Nation under God”.
There are two clauses that help explain the relationship between government and education. The Established clause states that the government will not establish a state religion to limit discrimination between the states; therefore it prohibits schools from indoctrinating religion. The other clause is the Free Exercise clause which states the government will not interfere with the peoples freedom to worship;
therefore, prayer and religious practices are allowed in schools as long as the student initiates it.
Making sure no religion is initiated by schools has become rather extreme. Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance is not a religious activity; it is being patriotic and supportive to the United States. Because it is not a religious gesture, why is it necessary to make it optional to recite or remove it from school activities altogether? There is a multitude of religions practiced throughout the U.S. It
would be a good idea to teach optional religion courses in high school, and possibly even junior high, to give students the ability to gain greater knowledge about different religions.