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Parker Kvenvold
English 11
Oberg
29 February 2016
Under God in the Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was introduced in 1892 by Francis Bellamy as an
anniversary celebration of Columbus arrival in the Americas. It was made for school
children to recite in respect, but in the 1950s the Cold War broke out and so did the
altered pledge with the words under God. These words are crucial to most Americans
due to the cultural ties that come along with them, along with the fact that the words no
longer take on personal significance. Therefore, Under God should be allowed in the
Pledge, because it bears no specific tie to one religion nor does it necessarily mean
religion at all.
Many religions themselves are based upon a belief system of a God judging
your actions and how you dedicate yourself to living an honorable life in his eyes. Some
religions have many difference gods and goddesses within them, but usually there is
one main God that everyone believes in. Many people believe that the pledge having
the words Under God in it pertains to only Christians and possibly the Jewish people,
though they do not openly say his name out loud. However, Gods exist in all religions,
so it cannot be simply assumed that these words are directed towards only Christians,

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because many religions involve theological beings. In fact, the idea that government
would also take on this role of being the eyes that judge you to make sure you, as an
individual, are living an honest life making an honest living. Whether it is liked or not,
government is apart of everyone's lives, and so is religion.
Furthermore, this idea of God being religious has been brought up in Congress
several times. The words under God were passed to show that America is, in fact, not
a Communist community, and was used as a powerful morale riser many times during
the war. Adding these words made them a symbol of freedom during the Cold War to
distinguish ourselves from officially atheistic Soviet Union (The Pew Forum), which
didnt allow for anyone to possess a certain religion. From this information, it can be
gathered that these words were not for religious use, but the fight against Communism,
or the fight for freedom of the people and religion. Therefore, the words by themselves
may be construed as religious, the true meaning behind them was just to empower the
United States to fight back against Russias injustice.
Many people have even heard other people exclaim Oh my, God! and have it
mean nothing more than surprise or realization of some sort. So why question the
meaning of under God in the Pledge, when it really is just a way to express
something? People in society usually wouldnt bat an eye at such expression, because
of freedom of speech or even the fact that it probably doesnt mean anything more to
that person other than an exclamation.
In conclusion, the words under God should be in the Pledge of Allegiance,
because though the words God is in it, it doesnt necessarily tie one religion and

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suppress others, even if it happened to mean anything religious at all. The purpose of
these words was culturally tied to a war between Soviet Russia and the U.S., not as a
way to promote one religion or another, but as a way to distinguish America from
Communist Russia.

Works Cited
Baer, John W. The Pledge of Allegiance; A Short History OldTimeIslands.com. 1992
Web. 10 February 2016.
Chea, Terence. Under God In Pledge of Allegiance Upheld by Court.
TheHuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post. 11 March 2010. Web. 10 February
2016.
Lawmakers Blast Pledge Ruling. CNN.com. CNN. 27 June 2002. Web. 10 February
2016.
Cohen, Andrew. The Pledges Refuge of Scoundrels. LATimes.com, LA Times. 14
November 2006. Web. 10 February 2016.
Egelko, Bob. Appeals Court Says Under God Not a Prayer SFGate.com, Hearst
Communications Inc.. 12 March 2010. Web. 10 February 2016.
Greenberg, David. The Pledge of Allegiance; Why Were Not One Nation Under God.
Slate.com, Washington Post. 28 June 2002. Web. 10 February 2016.
Lane, Charles. Justices Keep Under God in Pledge. WashingtonPost.com,
Washington Post. 15 June 2004. Web. 10 February 2016.

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One Nation Under God? A Constitutional Question PewForum.org, The Pew Forum on
Religious and Public Life. 19 March 2004: 1-7. Print. 11 February 2016.
Robinson, B.A. The U.S Pledge of Allegiance; Background Material
ReligiousTolerence.com, Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 22 June
2002. Web. 10 February 2016.
The Pledge of Allegiance Resources PewForum.org. The Pew Forum on Religious
and Public Life. 19 March 2004.