Shaping Ideals: the Culture Addition of ‘Under God’ to the Pledge

Amidst the fervor of the Cold War, a pivotal transformation occurred in the fabric of American patriotism with the addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. This historic alteration unfolded on June 14, 1954, under the stewardship of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, casting the pledge into a new ideological light.

The Pledge of Allegiance, initially penned by Francis Bellamy in 1892, had undergone modifications before its official adoption by Congress in 1942. However, the defining moment came during the early years of the Cold War, an era marked by heightened anti-communist sentiments and a zealous clash of ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union.

In this charged atmosphere, the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, spearheaded a campaign to introduce the phrase “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. Motivated by a desire to distinguish the U.S. from the atheistic Soviet Union, they sought to emphasize America’s commitment to a higher power, underscoring the stark ideological differences between the two superpowers.

President Eisenhower, a man deeply rooted in his faith and a key military leader, lent his support to the cause. On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, he signed into law a joint resolution of Congress amending the pledge to include the phrase “under God.” The modified pledge now echoed, “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.”

Eisenhower’s endorsement of this change was not just a response to the ideological struggle with the Soviet Union; it mirrored the prevailing sentiment in the United States during that era. The addition of “under God” was seen as a unifying force, emphasizing the nation’s commitment to religious values and countering the perceived atheist underpinnings of communism.

Yet, this alteration did not unfold without controversy. Critics contended that it breached the principle of the separation of church and state, a cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. The legal challenges that followed, including a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2002, questioned the constitutionality of the pledge in public schools. However, the U.S. Supreme Court, in 2004, sidestepped the constitutional question on procedural grounds, allowing “under God” to persist.

The addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance remains a symbolic fixture, embodying the intricate interplay between national identity, religious beliefs, and the historical context that precipitated such changes.

In conclusion, the infusion of “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 was a deliberate and symbolic response to the ideological tensions of the Cold War era. It was an assertion of the United States’ commitment to religious values in the face of perceived communist atheism. However, the enduring debates surrounding its constitutionality highlight the ongoing challenge of reconciling national identity with the principles of religious freedom enshrined in the Constitution.

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