Under God in the Pledge of Alliance

“Under God in the Pledge of Alliance”

In 1954, the Pledge of Allegiance was edited by congress to include the words “Under God.” The Pledge of Allegiance was 62 years old when it was edited during the Cold War to distinguish the United States from the atheistic Soviet Union. The 31 word Pledge of Allegiance became the expression of loyalty to the federal flag. Controversy inevitably arose with the question: Should the words “Under God” be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance? There are many rationales for and against the congressional act which all lead to the dilemma the court faces on the issue.

One argument states the pledge should remain as it is currently, with the words “Under God.” Similarly, the National Motto of the United States is “In God We Trust”, containing the word “God.” Before “In God We Trust” was out national motto, it was seen on United States currency as early as 1864. In 1956, the saying was adopted as our National Motto by an act of congress, and in 2002, the motto was reaffirmed. The original saying as written by Francis Scott Key read “In God Is Our Trust”, found in the same poem our National Anthem comes from. The language to include the word “God” has been seen since the beginning of the United States. It is traditional language used by our forefathers that simply acknowledge the existence of a higher being, a god. Furthermore, in President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, he used the words “Under God.” As seen through our history, we see the phrase “Under God” or “In God We Trust”, become a part of the traditional American way of life.

The phrase “Under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance to differentiate the United States from the atheistic Soviet Union. By doing so, the United States kept with traditional language and acknowledges the presence of a god. When the National Motto was first seen during the Civil War era, there was no specific endorsement of a specific religion just as the phrase “Under God” is not endorsing a specific religion. Both do not violate the separation of church and state act under the First Amendment. The pledge containing “Under God” is a pledge to the republic of the United States and to the people of the nation; it is not a pledge to god. It acts like it was designed to, differentiating from the Soviet Union, and to remind the people of the roots of America.

In opposition, there are arguments to suggest the words should be removed because it violates the separation of church and state from the First Amendment. People argue that by having the word “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, it can be construed as praying to a god. Relating to a god, the words “Under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance to differentiate the