Under God ProCon.org Notices Archive

5/29/2009 - UPDATED: Books and Articles about Using Controversial Issues to Stimulate Critical Thinking: Take a look at our list of 16 publications, including 15 full text articles, on this important educational topic.

5/28/2009 - UPDATED: Should the US President say "so help me God" with a hand on the Bible when taking office?

5/19/2009 - Our Volunteer Program – created on Feb. 9, 2009 – has been a great success. We thank all the volunteers who have helped us so far, and we encourage others to consider becoming a ProCon.org volunteer or intern.

5/15/2009 - UPDATED: Did the Founding Fathers support a separation of church and state?

5/1/2009 - UPDATED: Is the United States a Christian nation?

4/10/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – 411 schools (73 elementary and middle schools, 148 high schools, and 190 colleges and universities) in 45 states and 11 countries use ProCon.org content in their classrooms.

4/10/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - 113 mainstream media--the most recent including Washington Post, Guardian, and CBS News--have referenced ProCon.org’s websites.

4/7/2009 - NEW: Join ProCon.org on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

4/2/2009 – NEW DESIGN – Whether you are visiting for the first time or coming back for the 100th time, we’d love to know: What do you think of our new website design?

4/2/2009 - NEW: Survey for Teachers and Librarians - Please take our 2-minute survey so we can learn how to make our sites more useful to educators.

3/23/2009 - UPDATED: In the News – We added 10 more media references and surpassed 100 mentions in the press for the first time in our history. 103 mainstream media outlets have now referenced ProCon.org.

3/9/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – See how 66 elementary and middle schools, 133 high schools, and 176 colleges and universities in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.

3/2/2009 – NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! – Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels? – Our 17th issue website has over 200 pro and con responses from more than 175 experts on energy topics such as oil, solar, wind, nuclear, ethanol, biofuels, hydrogen vs. electricity, subsidies, and more.

2/25/2009 - Articles about Using Controversial Issues to Stimulate Critical Thinking – Attention educators. We have compiled over a dozen published articles on why and how to develop critical thinking skills by teaching controversial topics in the classroom.

2/25/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - Our list of media references has grown to 93. See the latest additions from Popular Science magazine, Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), two radio stations, and more.

2/6/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org - See how 352 schools in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.

2/2/2009 - ProCon.org was honored to receive the 2008 “Best Non-Profit to Work For” award in a national competition. ProCon.org was one of five winners in its class of “non-profits with an operating budget of under $2.5 million.” There were 15 winners total. There are roughly 1,000,000 nonprofit organizations in the United States.

1/30/2009 - NEW: Should the words "under God" be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?

1/12/2009 - NEW TOPIC SURVEY - Select the topic you would most like ProCon.org to cover next.

1/9/2009 - NEW: Quotes About Critical Thinking – Read twelve stimulating quotes about critical thought. We share these statements as part of our mission to promote critical thinking.

12/31/2008 - UPDATED: See How Schools Are Using ProCon.org: 50 elementary and middle schools, 100 high schools, and 116 colleges and universities (that we know of) have used ProCon.org in their teaching materials.

12/29/2008 - NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! - Should performance enhancing drugs (such as steroids) be accepted in sports? Read over 250 pro and con responses from more than 200 experts on nearly 30 subjects related to drugs in sports at our 17th website, sports.procon.org.

12/3/2008 - Big Three auto makers compared to Toyota and Honda by ProCon.org – We explore the question “Should the Big Three auto makers be bailed out by the US government?” in our first ever “mini” site. See the 144-point comparison chart and read statements from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Paul Krugman, and many others.

11/18/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org for Teachers - Lesson plan ideas, natl. teaching standards, articles about teaching controversial issues, teachers' comments, and students' comments.

11/4/2008 – ProCon.org was referenced in the media six times last week. See our In the News page for the Swedish, Russian, and four US publications that mentioned ProCon.org.

10/27/2008 - UPDATED: Congressional Pledge Acts - See all Congressional Acts introduced since 2001 on the Pledge of Allegiance and "under God" debate, including four new additions from the 110^th Congress (2007-2008).

10/15/2008 - ProCon.org welcomes its newest Board Member, Mr. A Searle Field, JD.

10/14/2008 - UPDATED: In the Classroom - 256 schools in 42 states and five countries reference ProCon.org in their K-12 and university level lesson plans and resource lists.

10/9/2008 - ProCon.org received four more media references in the last three days. See our coverage at Slate, National Catholic Reporter, and others in our growing In the News page.

10/3/2008 - ProCon.org User Survey passes 1,000 responses. See the survey results so far.

9/30/2008 – ProCon.org received two more media mentions last week. Visit our In the News page to see our latest media references.

8/26/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org received four more media references in the last 30 days.

7/31/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Death Penalty ProCon.org – “Should the death penalty be abolished?” Read pros, cons, stats, news, bios, and more great information related to this perennially controversial topic. Explore our 15th issue website at ProCon.org and let us know what you think.

6/30/2008 - We are proud to announce the new ProCon.org sites that became available Monday June 30, 2008. See over 10 new features in a new design and layout that took over 25 people nearly 2 years and 9,000 hours to complete. If you like what you see, please tell your friends.

5/30/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Insider Trading ProCon.org – Should "insider trading" by Congress continue to be legal? Read pros, cons, and general reference information in the debate over whether Congressional representatives should be allowed to trade stocks based on material nonpublic information that they acquire during their normal Congressional duties.

5/23/2008 - ProCon.org Referenced in the Los Angeles Times and the Social Studies Professional – The number of media references to ProCon.org increased to 50 this week with favorable coverage by two respected publications.

4/17/2008 - NEW: User Survey – Please help us by taking our 1-2 minute survey on your experience at ProCon.org. Your feedback will help us to improve.

2/29/2008 - NEW: Subscribe to our free RSS feed and automatically receive the latest news and notices from our 13 ProCon.org websites. To subscribe, click on the RSS button in the top right of the homepage and follow the instructions provided on the screen. It takes a few seconds, and you can unsubscribe whenever you want.

12/12/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: 2008 Election ProCon.org – Read pro and con statements from the 2008 presidential candidates on several issues including abortion, education, environment, gun control, Iran, Iraq, religion, social security, and many more. Decide for yourself which candidate would make the best US President.

12/5/2007 - Michael Newdow's "Under God" Lawsuit Is Heard by the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals - The lawsuit alleges that the words "under God" in the US Pledge of Allegiance violate the US Constitution.

11/26/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Immigration ProCon.org – What are the solutions to illegal immigration? ProCon.org explores the debate over illegal immigration with 50 questions, 200+ sources, and over 350 pro, con, and general reference responses.

11/15/2007 - Rev. Dr. Michael Newdow, Esq., who lost a 2004 US Supreme Court case challenging the words "under God" in the US Pledge of Allegiance, has filed a new lawsuit involving the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance .

9/28/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Milk ProCon.org - Is drinking milk healthy for humans? We investigate health claims about milk using over 100 experts. The results of our research show conflicting data on milk's effect on cancer, heart disease, weight loss, diabetes, children's development, and other health issues. Visit our newest website and tell us what you think.

8/31/2007 - UPDATED: Did You Know? - Little known facts in the "under God" debate.

7/27/2007 - UPDATED: 313 Religions in the United States - Our chart of 313 religions in America includes membership levels, dates founded, and descriptions of each religion. The chart has been updated to include percentages of "religious" vs. "non-religious" adults in the United States.

6/26/2007 - 2008 Presidential Election Poll - Visit our parent website ProCon.org and vote on the issues you want us to ask the U.S. Presidential candidates. Poll will close on July 15th.

5/14/2007 - Our 1-Minute Overview explains why we selected the debate over the inclusion of the phrase "under God" as a topic, and it shows the basic pros and cons in about a minute.

5/14/2007 - New ProCon.org website:

5/3/2007 - Which other governments have separation of church and state issues? Find out here!

5/1/2007 - New ProCon.org website:

4/27/2007 - Our updated Polls and Surveys on "Under God" and Religion in Government section shows that 68-90% of Americans approve of references to God in the Pledge.

4/25/2007 - Who are the US Founding Fathers? See who and why these 115 individuals are considered to be "founding fathers" of the United States.

4/19/2007 - Please visit our newly revised resource, 10-Minute Summary of the "Under God" Debate

4/5/2007 - See our newly revised question: Is the US a Christian nation?

2/6/2007 - See our newly revised question: Is it valid to look to the intent of the Founding Fathers in determining whether the words "under God" should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance?

1/31/2007 - Our updated resource, Religion in the Colonies, examines state-supported religion in the 13 original colonies.

1/30/2007 - Our comprehensive search engine (top right on the homepage) allows visitors to quickly find a word or phrase on the Under God ProCon.org website. The search function at www.procon.org allows visitors to simultaneously search all ProCon.org websites.

1/8/2007 - Euthanasia ProCon.org, our newest website, was launched today. It features nearly 600 pro, con, and general reference arguments in 80 questions. Visit the site today and decide for yourself: "Should euthanasia be legal?"

12/6/2006 - The Top 10 Pros and Cons have been updated. Read the main arguments in the "under God" debate in about five minutes.

10/3/2006 - Try our 2001-2006 House of Representative Actions on the Pledge of Allegiance chart detailing every US Representative's vote on "under God" related bills from the last six years. This section also includes sponsors, co-sponsors, and the text of each bill.

9/28/2006 - Examine our updated question Does the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance violate the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution?

9/27/2006 - Read our updated Top 10 Pros and Cons for a 2 - 3 minute introduction to the "under God" debate.

9/15/2006 - See our newest question Is the separation of church and state a founding principle of the United States?

9/13/2006 - Find out which other governments have separation of church and state issues?

9/7/2006 - Our new Senate Voting Master List details every US Senator's vote on "under God" bills since 2001. This section also includes sponsors, co-sponsors, and the text of each bill.

9/7/2006 - Visit our updated "Under God" in the Courts page with 65 full-text court documents and amicus briefs from both Newdow cases.

8/30/2006 - We've added the new question: Should "In God We Trust" be removed from US currency?

8/23/2006 - Examine our new question: Does the Declaration of Independence set a precedent for religion in government?

8/17/2006 - See our updated, 2001-2006 Congressional Acts on the Pledge of Allegiance which contains all the Congressional acts regarding the "under God" debate from the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses.

8/10/2006 - Visit our updated, History of the US Pledge of Allegiance and the Phrase "under God" from 1887-2006.

7/21/2006 - In response to the House passing the Pledge Protection Act we've added the question Should the Pledge of Allegiance be removed from the jurisdiction of federal courts?

7/17/2006 - See our new question Is the inclusion of the words "under God" supported by the religious community?

7/12/2006 - North Carolina's legislature has ratified a bill requiring schools to set time aside daily to recite the pledge but not require students to participate. The bill is waiting for further action by Gov. Easly. See our updated "State Requirements for Schools."

7/7/2006 - See our updated "Polls and Surveys Page."

6/14/2006 - See our updated content: Do the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance improperly endorse religion?

6/13/2006 - Read our revised question: From a legal perspective, do the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance improperly endorse religion?

4/25/2006 - See our latest question: Is religion a necessary component of good government?

3/28/2006 - See our new chart that defines and provides membership statistics on the 35 most popular Christian denominations in the United States.

3/1/2006 - Read our new Polls and Surveys Page for six public opinion polls on "under God" in the Pledge and other issues dealing with religion in government.

1/4/2006 - See Over 280 Religions in the United States and learn what "under God" can mean to 282 religious groups in America.

12/13/2005 - We've reorganized our site questions to improve navigation.

11/18/2005 - Atheist Michael Newdow filed a lawsuit to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from all US currency.

11/14/2005 - The US Supreme Court has refused to review the constitutionality of "In God We Trust" on a government building in North Carolina.

10/28/2005 - We've added a new question that asks whether students face undue coercion in public schools during recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

10/26/2005 - Our Pledge History contains six new entries, and seven original court documents have been added to our Supreme Court Decisions page.

10/4/2005 - Our examination of state-supported religion in the 13 original colonies shows how they all had some form of church-state interaction. See the original state charters and constitutions for yourself.

9/26/2005 - We've updated our history of the pledge and added a chart of the top 20 religions in America.

9/14/2005 - A federal judge ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional, in a case brought by families represented by Michael Newdow.

8/10/2005 - A federal appeals court rejected a suit to strike down Virginia's law requiring public school recitation of the Pledge.

7/18/2005 - The current Michael Newdow court case challenging the Pledge of Allegiance was partly dismissed by a federal judge, narrowing the case to only school recitation.

5/13/2005 - See our new chart detailing the religious references in all 50 state constitutions.

4/22/2005 - We added a chart showing which of the 13 original colonies had state-supported religion in 1775.

4/20/2005 - We added a chart showing the top 20 religions in America from surveys conducted in 1990 and 2001. We also added a chart showing the predominant religion in each of the 50 US states.

4/15/2005 - We added a chart detailing which states have laws that require recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, including the words "under God," and in which states recitation is optional.

4/8/2005 - April ProCon.org Poll - Visit our parent site www.ProCon.org and help us select the best slogan for the organization.

4/5/2005 -The Did You Know? section is our latest experiment and features little known facts from the "under God" debate. Check it out and let us know what you think.

2/17/2005 - We have added a chart of pro and con statements on religion in government by some of the key Founding Fathers.

1/6/2005 - Michael Newdow, who filed the lawsuit that brought the "under God" case before the US Supreme Court (which the court dismissed), has filed suit again -- this time with eight co-plaintiffs.

9/22/2004 - We posted a chart on "Attitudes on Social and Moral Issues" from International Social Surveys.

9/15/2004 - The US House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee approved the bill H.R. 2028, "The Pledge Protection Act," which would prohibit courts beneath the US Supreme Court from ruling that the Pledge's current wording is unconstitutional.

6/14/2004 - The US Supreme Court dismisses the Pledge of Allegiance case. Read the Supreme Court's written decision.

4/14/2004 - We added the companion "address," written by the Pledge's author, that appeared with the original Pledge of Allegiance.

4/7/2004 - We added the transcripts of the oral arguments before the US Supreme Court in the "Pledge of Allegiance" case (Newdow v. US)

3/25/2004 - We added a recap of the oral arguments before the US Supreme Court in the "Pledge of Allegiance" case (Newdow v. US)

3/25/2004 - We added a recap of former Supreme Court cases that are relevant to the Pledge of Allegiance

3/22/2004 - We added a list of many of the documents in the Pledge of Allegiance case (Newdow v. US) pending before the US Supreme Court.

3/12/2004 - We added a pro/con summary of the "under God" conflict.

11/18/2003 - We added a chart of all references to "God" in the US Code.