Malcolm Rivera
The phrase under God was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 by an act of Congress, at the urging of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was responding to citizen petitions. The Pledge of Allegiance, originally composed in 1892, did not contain the phrase under God when it was formally adopted by Congress in 1942. The addition of the phrase under God amidst the Cold War aimed to distinguish the United States' beliefs from the atheistic ideology of the Soviet Union. Interestingly, the inclusion of under God in the Pledge of Allegiance has sparked significant legal and cultural debates, with a court ruling in 2002 declaring it unconstitutional, although this decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of addition | 1954 |
| Added by | Congress |
| Reason for addition | To distinguish the United States' beliefs from the atheistic ideology of the Soviet Union |
| Person urging the addition | President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Person responsible for the original Pledge of Allegiance | Francis Bellamy |
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What You'll Learn
- The Pledge of Allegiance was amended in 1954 to include under God
- The US Constitution contains no reference to God
- The US Motto, In God We Trust, was ascribed into law in the 1950s
- The addition of under God sparked legal and cultural debates
- President Eisenhower urged the addition of under God to the Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was amended in 1954 to include under God
The Pledge of Allegiance was amended in 1954 to include the phrase "under God". The Pledge, originally composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, was designed to foster a sense of national unity and patriotism. The original wording was: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands: one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." This initial wording underwent several modifications over the years. In 1923, for example, the phrase "the flag of the United States" replaced "my flag", and in 1924, "of America" was added.
The addition of "under God" in 1954 was significant and occurred against the backdrop of the Cold War. The United States aimed to distinguish its beliefs from the atheistic ideology of the Soviet Union. The inclusion of these two words transformed the Pledge into a blend of patriotic oath and public prayer, reflecting the religious revival of the 1950s. The amendment was urged by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was responding to citizen petitions. Eisenhower's own Presbyterian pastor, George Docherty, echoed the views of many Americans at the time, asserting that the secular American Pledge could also be the pledge of the atheistic Soviet Union. He argued for a change that would reflect Americans' belief in a supreme being.
The amendment sparked significant legal and cultural debates, particularly concerning the separation of church and state. In 2002, a court ruling declared "under God" unconstitutional, but this decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2004. The phrase continues to evoke diverse perspectives among various religious and secular groups, illustrating the ongoing discourse surrounding national identity and faith in American society.
It is worth noting that, unlike the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution contains no explicit reference to God. The Founding Fathers, in drafting the Constitution, did not mention a higher power even once. This was a deliberate choice as the USA was not established as a Christian nation.
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The US Constitution contains no reference to God
The United States Constitution makes no reference to God. This may seem odd at first, especially considering that the Declaration of Independence mentions God several times. The Founding Fathers believed in the importance of religion and morality in government, as evidenced by the Northwest Ordinance passed by the First Congress in 1789, which stated: "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress also approved a resolution calling on President George Washington to proclaim a National Day of Thanksgiving for the people of the United States, specifically acknowledging "Almighty God" and thanking him for allowing them to establish a constitution of government. Despite this, the final version of the US Constitution does not include any explicit references to God.
The absence of God in the Constitution may be attributed to the Founding Fathers' intention to create a secular document that would protect religious freedom and prevent the establishment of an official state religion. The First Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights adopted in 1791, further reinforced this separation of church and state by prohibiting Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion.
While the US Constitution itself does not mention God, some have argued that certain phrases or clauses allude to a higher power. For example, the formula "in the year of our Lord" in Article VII has been interpreted as a subtle reference to God. Additionally, the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause within the Constitution have been central to debates about the role of religion in the United States.
It is worth noting that the US Constitution's approach to religion differs from that of some other countries. Several European countries, influenced by the tradition of invoking God in legal documents, include explicit references to God in their constitutions. In contrast, other nations, such as laicist France, have chosen to omit such references to preserve state religious neutrality.
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The US Motto, In God We Trust, was ascribed into law in the 1950s
The United States Constitution contains no reference to God. The Founding Fathers did not mention a higher power even once in the document. However, the US Motto, "In God We Trust", was ascribed into law in the 1950s.
The phrase "In God We Trust" was first used in English in 1748 when The Pennsylvania Gazette reported on the colours of Associators regiments, namely that of Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania militia. The motto was also found in Isaac Watts' Psalter, which was revised and printed in the United States in 1785. The first appearance of the motto on US currency was in 1864 when it was engraved on two-cent coins. The motto gradually became accepted among Americans, with wider adoption following in the 1950s.
In 1954, the phrase "`under God`" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance by an act of Congress, urged by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was responding to citizen petitions. Two years later, in 1956, President Eisenhower signed a law officially declaring "`In God We Trust`" to be the nation's official motto. The law, P.L. 84-140, also mandated that the phrase be printed on all American paper currency.
The adoption of "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States reflected the desire to emphasize Americans' religious commitment in the early years of the Cold War. The phrase has since been used by various groups, including conservative businessmen and ministers, to promote certain values and combat social welfare policies and government expansion. The US Motto, "In God We Trust", which was established in the 1950s, stands in contrast to the secular nature of the US Constitution.
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The addition of under God sparked legal and cultural debates
The addition of the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 has sparked significant legal and cultural debates in the United States. The Pledge of Allegiance, created by Francis Bellamy in 1892, underwent several modifications before the contentious phrase was introduced. The inclusion of "under God" transformed the pledge into a blend of patriotic oath and public prayer, reflecting the religious revival of the 1950s and the Cold War context of distinguishing American ideology from the atheism of the Soviet Union.
The phrase "under God" has been at the center of legal challenges regarding the separation of church and state. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which addresses the government's role in religion, has been a key focus of these debates. In 2002, a court ruling declared the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, but this decision was overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2004. The Supreme Court's ruling, however, did not directly address the church-state separation issue, and the phrase continues to evoke diverse perspectives among religious and secular groups.
One notable legal challenge was Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow in 2004, where an atheist parent argued that a California school's pledge requirement violated his daughter's rights under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the parent lacked standing to bring the suit due to insufficient custody over his daughter. In contrast, some federal appeals courts have ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance does not violate the Establishment Clause, arguing that its purpose is to inspire patriotism and that participation is voluntary.
Beyond the legal realm, the inclusion of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance has sparked cultural debates. Critics argue that the phrase excludes nonbelievers and that schools should be more sensitive to the challenges faced by non-religious children when asked to recite the pledge. Additionally, the phrase has sparked discussions about the role of religion in the United States and the intentions of the Founding Fathers. While the Declaration of Independence includes references to God, the US Constitution notably does not contain any direct references, reflecting the country's deliberate establishment as a non-Christian nation.
The addition of "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance continues to be a contentious issue, with ongoing debates in legal and cultural spheres. While some view the phrase as an acknowledgment of religion with legitimate secular purposes, others argue for a strict separation of church and state. These debates reflect the complex relationship between religion and patriotism in the United States and the ongoing discourse surrounding national identity.
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President Eisenhower urged the addition of under God to the Pledge of Allegiance
The United States Constitution does not contain any reference to God. However, the Declaration of Independence, another founding document of the fledgling republic, does contain several references to God.
The Pledge of Allegiance, on the other hand, has not always been entirely secular. The first version, written in 1892, did not contain any reference to religion. However, in 1954, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we know today. This addition was influenced by a sermon he attended by Reverend George Docherty, who preached that omitting the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance was to omit the definitive factor in the American way of life.
The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, was one of the first major groups to call for the addition of "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. In 1952, they began petitioning the federal government to include the phrase, and their efforts gained momentum during the second Red Scare, a period when US politicians were eager to assert the moral superiority of American capitalism over Soviet "godless" communism.
President Eisenhower's support for the campaign to add "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance gave it significant momentum. On June 14, 1954, he signed a bill to insert the phrase into the Pledge of Allegiance, which children recited every morning in school. This addition led to new lawsuits regarding the rights of students and teachers, with some arguing that it forced schoolchildren to swear allegiance to "monotheism."
The constitutionality of inserting "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance remains a contentious issue, with court cases reaching the US Supreme Court as recently as the 21st century.
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Frequently asked questions
No one. The US Constitution contains no references to God.
The phrase "one nation under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 by an act of Congress, at the urging of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in response to citizen petitions.
The phrase was added to distinguish the United States' beliefs from the atheistic ideology of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
