I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation Under God, indivisible for Liberty and Justice for All. Under God, seems harmless enough doesn’t it? Its been a part of our school day since anyone can remember. It was the early morning mantra in school, even before the teacher spoke and before any important announcements that needed to be made. So should the phrase “Under God” be removed or not? According to some it should be, while others are willing to argue otherwise.
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist Minister, for a magazine contest writing. The Pledge was part of the flag code in 1942 and the phrase “under God” was not added to the text until June of 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a joint-party congressional act to have the words added. Some may argue that the phrase “under God” was added to the Pledge because the United States is Christian nation and 80% of all Americans support the Pledge of Allegiance the way it is. However, there are those that believe that church and state should absolutely be separated and having the phrase “under God” is not separating the two. As of Aug 2006, the word “God” appeared in the US Code of Laws 68 times, 46 are references to “acts of God and 22 mention “God” in other capacities. In June of 2006, US Senator Barack Obama said in a keynote address “A sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between the church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation - context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase “under God.” I didn’t.”
Some people believe that the phrase is used a religious coercion, a theological principle, a request to affirm your allegiance to patriotism for your country and a Christian God. Currently, there is an association, named the American Humanist Association, that is waging “war” against the phrase. The group has said that about one third of the American Citizens would like for the phrase to be removed from the Pledge and encouraging a boycott of the Pledge Allegiance. They express that the words were added in the middle of a communist witch hunt hysteria of sorts, and that it is discriminatory to those who don’t believe in God. Atheists will no doubt maintain that any religion at all, like the phrase “under God” excludes them by endorsing the idea of religion. This group, the American Humanist Association, is also encouraging people to stay seated instead of standing when the Pledge is recited. There are other groups that are fighting to keep the pledge as is. One particular group, the Liberty Institute, is working through the courts to counterbalance the American Humanist Association’s push. The President and CEO, Kelly Shackleford, says the attempt to take out “under God” is an attack on religious freedom.
Does “under God” put a type of pressure on people and on children to profess their belief in a Christian God? Would getting rid of “under God” eliminate the argument or would it make it worse? Sandra Day O’Connor, a former Supreme Court Justice of the United States, wrote the following statement in her June 2004 opinion of the judgment made in the USSC case in the Elk Grove Unified School District vs Michael Newdow: “Fifty years have passed since the words “under God” were added, a span of time that is not inconsiderable, given the relative youth of our Nation. The Pledge has become, alongside the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, our most routine ceremonial act of patriotism;... As a result, the Pledge and the context in which it is employed are familiar and nearly inseparable n the public mind.” Inseparable not only to American citizens but also to the world. When other countries read the Pledge of Allegiance, hear it or even hear the Star Spangled Banner along with the Pledge of Allegiance, the United States of America, our Military and our Patriotism is never questioned and it is considered synonymous.
Should those that oppose just decide not to participate in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance? Is the phrase “under God” too ingrained in our culture to get rid of it? Is referencing God a part of our patriotic and national identity? God is referred to three times in the Declaration of Independence, the very founding document of this country. This country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and God is referenced many times in various documents of this country’s heritage written by our founding fathers. Pat Robertson, Founder and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, had a press release in June of 2002, stating that each state of the union makes reference to God in certain documents of their history. Oaths sworn in court use the phrase “ … so help me God.” The Supreme Court convenes with a prayer, ‘God save this honorable court.’ We are and have continued to be a religious people since our founding.
Congress inserted the phrase “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance for the express purpose of reaffirming America’s unique understanding of this truth, and to distinguish America from Atheistic nations who recognize no higher authority than the State (January 12, 2004, ACLJ, Position paper on the Pledge of Allegiance, www.aclj.org).
