Under God in the Pledge

[Jazzy]

The Pledge of Allegiance was first written in 1892 for a magazine contest, and it read: "I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The Pledge became part of the US Flag Code in 1942, and in 1954 President Eisenhower and Congress added the phrase "under God” into the Pledge.

Proponents of including "under God" in the Pledge argue that the United States is a Christian nation, at least 80% of Americans support the phrase, the language reflects America’s civic culture and is not a religious statement, and federal law, state constitutions, and US currency already contain references to God.

Opponents contend that church and state should be kept strictly separate as the Founding Fathers intended. They argue that the Constitution protects minority rights against majority will, and that the words "under God" in the Pledge are a religious phrase and thus violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Debate Question:

Should the Words "under God" Be in the US Pledge of Allegiance? (Please explain your choice)

 

[DrLeftover]

Never mind the 'God' part of the equation.

Most schools don't say it anymore because they are pledging to the USA and that seems to upset some people who were born here.

 

[Dee]

Tradition isn't always something that is "right". We constantly preach that church and state should be separate, yet we're hypocritical about certain things because it's "just what we've been doing for hundreds of years" and have no other better way of explaining why it happens. I think it should be taken out, or the pledge of allegiance should be wiped out completely. It's a dated and stale group of words that doesn't mean anything anymore.