The Pledge: Where Politics and Religion Meet

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“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, with liberty and justice for all.” So many people say this pledge in honor of our country everyday. It is being said in classrooms throughout the United States at this very moment. Yet why is it that people find the pledge objectionable, even arguing that it is unconstitutional, due to one phrase, “under God?” Perhaps these people have a valid point. In our modern world of political-correctness and the separation of church and state, is it possible that religion and mentioning God doesn’t have any place in our society? Qualified people, ministers and those experienced in politics, have debated this issue for many years, especially within the last fifty years. People continue to fight in the name of the constitution believing it to be a living document, and as it was intended by the founders. Despite people’s objections, The Pledge of Allegiance has a place in our society because it reflects the fundamental principles of our government, as well as revealing that politics has its roots in religion.

Many people claim that the founding fathers were atheists, those who don’t believe in the existence of God. They claim that the founders were Deist as well, people who believe in a Creator who doesn’t intertwine with humanity’s daily affairs. However, when one looks at the first prayer given by Reverend Jacob Duché during the Continental Congress of 1774, it offers a very different school of thought. The assembly of Congressmen was composed of men from all over the colonies and it was a mix of various denominations. It was evident that the political proceeding had religious roots when Duché’s insp...

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... sustain them long after this country is gone and the pledge has been forgotten. So, what do you believe?

Works Cited

Brooks, Michael. "The Pledge Preserved on a Technicality." Principal Leadership (High

School Ed.) 5.2 (2004): 63-64. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Select Edition. Web. 6 Feb.

2011.

Coggins, Anthony. Personal Interview. 7 Feb. 2011.

Dan. "Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty." The Title of Liberty. 13 Nov. 2008.

Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Duché, Jacob. “First Prayer of the Continental Congress, 1774.” The Office of the

Chaplain, United States House of Representatives. The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin,

Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives. Web. 6 Feb. 2011

Tubbs, Brian. "God, Country, and the Pledge of Allegiance." What You Need to Know about the

American Flag | FlagEtiquette.us. Blue Feather Ltd. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.

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