Diane Ravitch: The Pledge of Allegiance and God

Diane Ravitch, in the NY Daily News (March, 2004):

The Supreme Court is currently reviewing a legal challenge to the Pledge of Allegiance in a case that makes - unintentionally - a powerful point about the place of religion in our nation's history.

At issue are the two words"under God," which were added to the pledge by an act of Congress in 1954.

Michael Newdow - an attorney, physician and atheist - says these words turn the pledge into an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. In 2002, a federal appeals court in California agreed by a 2-to-1 vote that the Pledge violates the religious liberty of Newdow's school-age daughter.

Other critics say"under God" was inserted in 1954 at the height of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's crusade against godless communism. They're wrong about the timing, though. Actually, 1954 was not the height of McCarthyism. It was the year McCarthy was censured by the Senate.

So what are the origins of the phrase"under God"? As school children once knew, the phrase can be found in Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. At the end of this short, eloquent oration, Lincoln resolved"that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."

Other historic figures also used the phrase. On July 2, 1776, George Washington rallied his troops on Long Island to prepare for battle against the British, who had assembled on Staten Island. In his general orders to the troops Washington said:"The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army."

A week later, only days after the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, Washington ordered a reading of the Declaration to his troops and told them:"This important event will serve as a fresh incentive to every officer and soldier to act with fidelity and courage, as knowing that now the peace and safety of the country depends, under God, solely on the success of our arms."

If the Supreme Court rules that"under God" constitutes a prayer, then we shall have to make sure children no longer recite the Gettysburg Address. We must stop them from reading the Mayflower Compact, which begins,"In the name of God, Amen."

We will need to rewrite the Declaration of Independence, which famously says,"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" and which refers to"Nature's God,""the Supreme Judge of the World" and"divine Providence."...