Facts on the Pledge of Allegiance
Arthur Schlessinger, Jr. has an excellent op-ed piece in today's New York Times called "When Patriotism Wasn't Religious."
In tracing the history of the Pledge since its creation by Francis Bellamy in 1892, turns out the words "under God" weren't added until 1954 when Congress decided "to emphasize the antagonism between God-fearing Americans and godless Communists," which he points out was hardly necessary in the Joe McCarthy era.
Bellamy's granddaughter says he would have objected to the change because it changes the fundamental meaning of the Pledge. "One nation indivisible" was a reference to the Civil War, after which Bellamy thought our nation could not be divided. She also says the change ruins the "rhythmic cadence."
Another great fact: Nowhere does the word "God" appear in the Constitution.
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