21st Annual Bill of Rights
Art and Essay Contest, 2004-2005

TOPIC:  Does reciting "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance at school violate the Constitution?

3rd Prize, High School

by a 12th-grade Seaside High School student

From the time the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, they have been a topic of debate. There are people who have said the phrase promotes religion and thus violates the establishment clause of the constitution. However, this phrase was not added to impose a religion on all of America's citizens. It was added to express the fact that God is a part of our heritage. The words "under God" in the pledge are neutral and reciting the pledge at school does not in any way violate the Constitution of the United States.

The pledge was first written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. This pledge read "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." On June 14, 1923, the pledge was changed to read I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and the Republic for which it stands: One nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." This change was made during a period of increased immigration in an effort to erase confusion about pledging loyalty to a country other than the United States. In 1924, the words "United States" were changed to read "United States of America." Finally, on June 14, 1954, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance. President Eisenhower stated that by adding these words "we [were] reaffirming the transcendence of the religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

The American people knew what would happen if the state was permitted to establish a national religion as the Church of England had. Thomas Jefferson thus coined the separation of church and state. This "Wall of Separation" between church and state was not built to give people freedom from religion, but rather to give then freedom of religion. The Establishment Clause states that "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free expression thereof." This was added to the Constitution in order to prevent the government from establishing or financially supporting a national religion, not in an effort to denounce religion altogether. By removing the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, our government would be promoting secularism above religion which would in itself violate the First Amendment.

Removing the words "under God" from the pledge could set a disastrous precedent. So many things we hold dear as Americans contain the word "God." If we allow the pledge to be modified we will eventually be forced to remove the words "In God We Trust" from our currency. A number of our most patriotic songs would not be permitted at schools and in other state sponsored settings. "America the Beautiful," "God Bless America," and "My Country Tis of Thee" are just a few examples of songs that would be restricted. Even our national anthem contains a reference to God as it says "and this be our motto--in God is our trust." Despite the reluctance of many to recognize God in any sense, God is a part of our heritage. Our nation was founded by God-fearing men under the moral principles of religion. They recognized that the moral decline of a society would eventually bring about its downfall. The words "under God" in the pledge do not suggest that our nation's citizens must affirm allegiance to God, but that the United States was established under God.

The Pledge of Allegiance is constitutional because it is not a prayer. It is a representation of American ideals. When children recite the pledge at school they are not pledging allegiance to God. They are simply pledging allegiance to a country that was founded under God. Everyone has a different concept of who or what "God" really is, and therefore the phrase "under God" in the constitution is a neutral statement of deism. The Pledge of Allegiance should remain as it is.