One Nation... Under God?

One Nation….under God?

By Ivy Young

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. The careful cadence still rings through my head in perfect rhythm, even though I haven’t spoken the words in over two years. A well-known and widely loved American tradition of patriotism, the pledge of allegiance is riddled in controversy. Ever since the phrase ‘under God’ was added, it has been the source of debate, questioning, and multiple court cases. One thing has become clear: the pledge of allegiance as it currently exists is unconstitutional.

The pledge of allegiance has a long history. According to an article from American History magazine, the pledge, first introduced in 1892, was intended to, “foster love of country in youths and among immigrants… in the wake of a vicious civil war.” The government has made numerous alterations to the pledge since its introduction, including the 1954 addition of the phrase ‘under God’.  The phrase was intended to foster sentiments against the atheistic Soviet Union by widening the separation between Americans and the ‘godless’ communists. 

In this way the pledge enforces the idea of a monotheistic religion, while also demonizing atheism.  According to a New York Times article quoting Judge Alfred T. Goodwin, the pledge of allegiance violates the Establishment clause, banning government endorsement of any religion at the expense of others, including advancing religion “at the expense of atheism”. 

Many argue that much like the use of ‘in God we trust’ on US currency, the phrase ‘under God’ does not use a religious context, which would mean it does not violate the Establishment Clause. However, the phrase is in the pledge through a religious context. The first people to start using ‘under God’ as part of the pledge were the members of a Catholic organization known as the Knights of Columbus. The government then added it to separate Americans from atheists. This context has not been lost and is still very real. The blatant reference to and endorsement of monotheistic, largely Christian, religions is clear to students listening to and reciting the pledge.

It is time for a change. People have been saying the pledge of allegiance in its current form for over 66 years. The time has come to confront the outdated decision made by the US government and reverse it. The pledge of allegiance is glaringly unconstitutional, and it is time to either rework it or remove it from use entirely.

Works Cited

Melamed, Dennis. "Under God." American History, 10 2016. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2266791226?accountid=6160.

Nieves, Evelyn. “Judges Ban Pledge of Allegiance From Schools, Citing 'Under God.” The New York Times, 27 June 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/06/27/national/judges-ban-pledge-of-allegiance-from-schools-citing-under-god.html.