Digitally Born

One thing that really gets me, is our [Americans] ability to incorporate God, and religion, into everything, then forget why we did it. My first great example is our Pledge of Allegiance.

Originally written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister and Socialist, in August 1892 for a Christian youth magazine, Youth’s Companion. In it, he stated a very simple ideal: unity.

Here’s a quick time line:
August 1892: Composed: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

October 1892: The pledge was widely accepted, and was incorporated into the nation’s school systems after endorsement by President Benjamin Harrison. “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

June 1940: Supreme Court rules that enforcement of students to recite “The Pledge” legal.

June 1943: Supreme Court rules that, for free speech and religious reasons, enforcement of “The Pledge” is not constitutional.

December 1945: The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Pledge as the official national pledge.

December 1945: The Pledge is changed to clarify that it is, in fact, the U.S. flag that is being pledged to. Obviously, immigrants were too dumb to realize that they were in the U.S. “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

April 1951: The Board of Directors of the New York Knights of Columbus decided to recite a modified version of the flag before all of their assemblies. They felt that the omission of deity was an obvious mistake, pulled out their whiteout, and went to town, adding the infamous words “under God” to The Pledge. In case you were wondering, the words “under God” were taken from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

August 1952: Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus declared this change to be universal throughout their organization, and sent notification to the President, the Vice President (as Presiding Officer of the Senate) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Their following attempts to convince outside organizations to follow suite fell upon deaf ears.

Early 1954: Rev. George MacPherson Docherty, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, delivered a sermon entitled “A New Birth of Freedom” which focused on the Gettysburg Address. The good reverend knew that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was in attendance. According to Docherty, what has made the United States both unique and strong was her sense of being the nation that Lincoln described: a nation “under God.” Soon thereafter, Rev. Docherty and Eisenhower met to discuss the sermon’s message. Eisenhower, a baptized Presbyterian, was quickly moved to agree with the Reverend that the pledge should reflect the American spirit and way of life as defined by Lincoln. The next day, wheels were a’ turnin’.

June 1954: Congress passed the legislation adding the phrase “under God” to the Pledge. “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.”

An interesting side note: Originally, the flag was saluted right hand over heart (or in a military salute), then extending, palm up, finger tips toward the flag (as it was raised) beginning at the phrase “to the flag.” The hand was left outstretched for the duration. This was symbolic of “lifting” the flag. During World War II, this was changed, as it too closely resembled the Nazi salute, to hand over heart (or military salute) for the entire duration.

Recent additional modifications have been made. They generally make me sick. Personally, I like the original.

They include:

• 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, born and unborn.
• I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with equality, liberty and justice for all.
• I pledge allegiance to the Christian 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.

More information:
“A New Birth of Freedom” by Dr. George M. Docherty
WikiPedia: Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance: A Short History by Dr. John W. Baer