The Pledge of Allegiance...?

Question

Someone in a previous post offered the Pledge of Allegiance as proof that America was founded as a Christian nation. You people do realize that the words "Under God" weren't added until 1954, right?

Actually, it is a question. The question was: "You people do realize that the words "Under God" wasn't added until 1954, right?"

Also, while it was founded by people who believe in God, America was founded by Deists, not Christians.

Answer 1

Ya, we should go back to "One nation, indivisible"

Answer 2

It is not because "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance that makes this nation Christian or not.

The U.S. Supreme Court determined that the U.S. was a Christian nation in the case of HOLY TRINITY CHURCH v. U.S.,
143 U.S. 457, 12 S.Ct. 511, 36 L.Ed. 226, Feb. 29, 1892.

The court ruled, "These and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation."

That being said, ever since, secular humanists have done much damage to the nation's character, allowing for all kinds of abominations changing liberty into license, that, in practice anyway, we are far from it.

Now, will all of those who insisted that the "facts" determined that the nation wasn't founded as a Christian one, please remove the log from your eye? (Matthew 7)

Answer 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4fQA9mt-Mg
My video talks a little about the Pledge and "In God We Trust" on currency....

I also have a video playlist of Michael Newdow giving a lecture. He's the Doctor/Lawyer suing over the Pledge and US Currency.
http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=7CC5B0160D83B7FE
Just to warn you, if you watch all the clips, the speech runs well over an hour.

For what it is worth, The Treaty of Tripoli, approved unanimously by Congress and signed by the President directly stated that the United States was not founded on the Christian religion.

Answer 4

Exactly - and it was added during the time of great fear from the Cold War and the McCarthy witch hunts -- a time period that fundamentalists saw as ripe for pushing their agenda. It was during the same time period of fear that the Coinage Act solidified the 'God we trust' on money (again, for similar reasons - note: the history of God on money involves a period of time in the 1800s when fear was yet again leveraged by fundamentalists). We see the same thing occurring in post-9/11 -- the nation's fears were used by opportunists to push their agendas. Thankfully, we have the 3 branches of government and some level-headed judges provided some defense against the fundamentalist agenda.

Answer 5

I'm all about seperation of church and state, and I don't even think you should have to say the pledge in school, and, check this out, I'm a conservative! But, as far as this not being a Christian founded nation, that's just untrue. The founding principle of this nation was that (and I quote):

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain inalienable rights..."

Again, I'm all about removing God from the money, etc. But to state that this country WASN'T founded as a Christian nation....that's just factually inaccurate.

Answer 6

Yes, additionally the words "in god we trust" were added to U.S. currency at the same time at the height of McCarthyism.
Thomas Jefferson addressed the issue of separation of church and state in 1801, and gives us a good indication that the framers of the constitution wanted a secular government that was not based on one or any religion.
Religion has creeped back into the equation over the past 200 years for a variety of political reasons, but was never the intention of our founding fathers.
The person who brought up the supreme court ruling of The Trinity Church vs U.S. would have us believe it was over religious matters having to do with the nature of the United States....It was not, it specifically pertained to legality in work contracted to alien persons working in this county.

Answer 7

I certainly realize it. I also know that America was absolutely not founded as a Christian nation. Then again, I read about Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, and don't keep my head stuffed into a Bible 365 days of the year.

Answer 8

I thought it was 1957... regardless it was not originally part of the pledge. This is NOT a Christian nation.

B. Scott... the bit you've cited is from the declaration of independence, not the constitution. It was written by Deists (notice it doesn't say Jesus anywhere in the text.) who believed that we were created but god has no relationship with us. Furthermore it was adressed to Brittan which was a theocracy. It makes sense one would want to speak to them in their own language.

Answer 9

Many choose to ignore it! The truth does not further their agenda.

I am a spiritual person (not religious) and I accept truths as they are. It does not do any of us good to ignore truths or even go further and distort and promote lies!

Now the distorters will say" But the founding fathers did use God in some of their documents"
Yes they did, however they went to great lengths to "separate church from state" and that is the point here! They knew the dangers of it!

Answer 10

I have yet to find any direct reference to the christian god anywere in any goverment writings. Never seen Jehovah written on any money either. Since most of the founding fathers did not belive in jesus as more then a human, it seems like if we were founded on anything, it would be more jewish then christian. But thankfully, there is not law requiring us to belive in any god. The christian god, the roman gods, none are required.

Answer 11

Yes - and I've made this point several times.

What is equally disturbing is the claim that if the word "God" is used it is therefore a reference to Christianity? As if God is Christian. (Well, yeah, then there are those who talk about some "Christian God" who is exclusive to Christianity.)

Since when does believing in God make one a Christian?