Heskett 1

Julianna Heskett
Ms. Oberg
English 11
2 March 2016
Under God in the Pledge
Francis Bellamy wrote the first Pledge of Allegiance in 1892, it read, I Pledge allegiance
to my flag and to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all. My flag was not changed to The flag of the United States of America until 1924,
and the words under God were added thirty years later, in 1954 (Baer). Since 1954, the words
under God have been controversial, and there have been many debates on whether or not to
take those words out of the pledge, or keep them in. I propose that taking them out would be the
best representation of our country. The words under God in the Pledge defy the Establishment
Clause of the First Amendment. These words coerce students into an act of religion that they may
or may not stand for. In addition, the words go against the very purpose our nation was founded
on: freedom to practice religion without interference from the government.
Under God is a religious statement, and when placed in the pledge it suggests that the
government advocates for Monotheism and disregards the First Amendment. According to the
Lemon Test, a test the court first used in 1973 and still uses, the phrase violates the first
amendments Establishment clause. The Lemon Test uses three guidelines to determine if the
governments decision defies the Establishment Clause:
First, the statute must have a secular legislative purpose;
second, its principal or primary effect must be one that

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neither advances nor inhibits religion; finally, the statute
must not foster an excessive government entanglement
with religion (Mount).
The controversial statement fails the second standard because it shows advancement of
Christianity or monotheism on the government side. Since it fails one standard, the statement is
unconstitutional (Freedom of Religion and the Establishment Clause). Under God in the
pledge violates the first amendment of the constitution and should be taken out.
Because the Pledge of Allegiance includes a religious aspect and is recited in schools, it is
considered coercion. For example, students who may not believe in any deity are persuaded to
recite the pledge through peer pressure. In the Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow case,
it is argued that The setting in which the Pledge is typically recited involving all students being
asked to say it aloud and in unison, leads to coerced participation (One Nation Under God? A
Constitutional Question). If student-led prayers before school games are unconstitutionally
coercive (Greenberg), then reciting the pledge with the words under God in a classroom is too.
The United States of America was founded primarily for freedom of religion; it is argued
that removing under God from the pledge dismisses our forefathers, and the reasons that the
U.S. became independent from Britain. However, removing the phrase does just the opposite; it
would honor our countries past. The purpose of separating from Britain in 1783 was so that the
people of the new nation would be free to practice religion separate from government, The
founders made erecting a church-state wall their first priority when they added the Bill of Rights
to the constitution [this] reveals the importance they placed (Greenberg). To leave out the
phrase in the pledge would be to honor the history of our nation that the Founding

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Fathers worked hard to develop. Under God excludes polytheistic and atheistic religions,
therefore dismissing the foundation of our country.
The phrase under God in the Pledge of Allegiance dismisses the First Amendment; it is
not justified in the Establishment Clause. Reciting the Pledge in the classroom, with the phrase,
is coerced participation as a result of peer pressure. Finally, the phrase goes against the primary
reason our country was founded. For these reasons under God should be taken out of the
pledge.

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Works Cited

Baer, John W. "The Pledge of Allegiance A Short History." Oldtimeislands.org. 2007. Web. 8
Feb. 2016.
Freedom of Religion and the Establishment Clause. NationalParalegal.edu. National Paralegal
College, 2010. Web. 24 February, 2016.
Greenberg, David. "The Pledge of Allegiance Why We're Not One Nation 'Under God'"
Slate.com. Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. 28 June 2002. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
Mount, Steve. Constitutional Topic: The Census. USConstitution.net. Craig Walenta, 24
January 2010. Web. 24 February, 2016.
"One Nation Under God? A Constitutional Question." Pewforum.com The Pew Forum on
Religious and Public Life. 19 Mar. 2004. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.