Final answer:
The American creed, rooted in the values of liberty, equality, and justice, often faces scrutiny when measured against the nation's history of treating marginalized groups. Disputes around rights, religiosity, and identity highlight struggles in adhering to these founding principles, showing the creed to be a work in progress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the American creed involves the core values of liberty, equality, and justice as articulated in the founding documents of the United States like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and later, the Bill of Rights. These values are supposed to guarantee the rights of citizenship and freedom for all. However, the reality of American life has often fallen short of these ideals. As the nation entered the twenty-first century, ongoing disputes emerged concerning the definition of what it means to be American, and who enjoys the right to full citizenship.
Debates have persisted around issues like gay and lesbian rights and abortion, where tensions between religious conservatism and more progressive views illuminate the clash between faith and science, including how these different belief systems interpret rights and legislate morality. The implications of the American creed are also evident in discussions about climate change, with religious conservatives often aligning with political conservatives to prioritize business interests over environmental measures. This results in a complex discourse over how the country adheres to its founding principles in an egalitarian and just manner.
The reverence for the U.S Constitution and its founding principles occurs in a context where many have been historically and presently deprived of the equal treatment and freedoms promised by law. Significant progress is needed to truly embody the American creed, given the disparities experienced by women, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. The American creed thus remains a driving force for ongoing social and political evolution within the United States.