USA Pledge of Allegiance

1964 The USA Supreme Court refused to strike the phrase 'under God', instituted on June 14, 1954, from the 'Pledge of Allegiance', a text recited in many American schools. This was despite the fact that the US Founding fathers made it clear that the nation was not founded on Christianity nor any other religion.

On October 21, 1892, the Pledge was first spoken publicly. It was written by Christian Socialist author and Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy (cousin of famed utopian socialist, Edward Bellamy), but the reference to 'under God' was not added until later, following a lobbying campaign by the Knights of Columbus – a Catholic fraternal organization – and others, including the Presbyterian minister, George MacPherson Docherty. Congress approved the addition of the words 'under God' within the phrase 'one nation indivisible', and on June 14, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an order adding the words 'under God' to the 'Pledge'.

On February 28, 2003, a US appeals court upheld its controversial ruling that the 'Pledge of Allegiance' recited by generations of American school children is unconstitutional because it invokes the name of God ...

Categories: usa, religion, christianity, deity