Why did the US Congress add the term "under God"?
Asked by: Dr. Rollin Mitchell DVM | Last update: May 15, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (46 votes)
The words of the Pledge of Allegiance are familiar to almost every American. Yet few realize that its wording differs from its original version, penned in 1892. Congress added “under God" in 1954, at a time when the United States wanted to distinguish itself from godless communist countries.
Why was the phrase "under God" added?
During the Cold War era, many Americans wanted to distinguish the United States from the state atheism promoted by communist countries, a view that led to support for the words "under God" to be added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Why do we still say under God in the pledge?
``Under God'' was added to the Pledge as a response to the Cold War, to distinguish the good ``God-fearing'' citizens of the US from the ``godless'' citizens from Communist nations.
When did America start saying "one nation under God"?
The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in 1945. The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954, when Congress passed a law which added the words “under God” after “one nation.”
When was the word God added to the pledge?
On June 14, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill to insert the phrase “under God” into the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance that children recited every morning in school. Previously, the pledge—originally written in 1892—had contained no reference to religion.
June 14, 1954: 'Under God' was added to the Pledge of Allegiance | Today in History
Does under God violate the First Amendment?
U.S. Congress, a divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the 1954 Congressional amendment adding the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance violated the First Amendment's proscription that, “Congress shall make not law respecting an establishment of religion.” Because ...
When did Under God get added to money?
A law passed in July 1955 by a joint resolution of the 84th Congress ( Pub. L. 84–140) and approved by President Dwight Eisenhower requires that "In God We Trust" appear on all American currency. This law was first implemented on the updated one-dollar silver certificate that entered circulation on October 1, 1957.
Is God mentioned in the constitution?
In the United States, the federal constitution does not make a reference to God as such, although it uses the formula "the year of our Lord" in Article VII.
Where in the Bible does it say one nation under God?
Symbolically, it pertains to a multitude of people. God's hand rests on those who follow Him. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance” (Psalm 33:12 NKJV).
Did the Founding Fathers of America believe in God?
On the surface, most Founders appear to have been orthodox (or “right-believing”) Christians. Most were baptized, listed on church rolls, married to practicing Christians, and frequent or at least sporadic attenders of services of Christian worship. In public statements, most invoked divine assistance.
Should Congress remove Under God from the pledge?
“Some people argue that “under God” is a form of prayer, and thus it is unconstitutional to have schoolchildren recite it. However, a careful reading of the Pledge of Allegiance reveals that we are not pledging allegiance to God. We are, instead, pledging allegiance to a republic.
Was the United States founded on Christianity?
In short, while America did not have a Christian Founding in the sense of creating a theocracy, its Founding was deeply shaped by Christian moral truths. More important, it created a regime that was hospitable to Christians, but also to practitioners of other religions.
Where in the Bible does it say not to pledge?
Proverbs 22:26-27 -- Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.
Is one nation under God in the constitution?
It doesn't say “one nation under God,” and context matters in Establishment Clause cases.
Is God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence?
While the U.S. Constitution does not mention God, nearly all state constitutions reference either God or the divine, according to a 2017 analysis. God also appears in the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and on U.S. currency.
Was Eisenhower a Republican?
Eisenhower, a Republican from Kansas, took office following his landslide victory over Democratic nominee Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election. Four years later, in the 1956 presidential election, he defeated Stevenson again, to win re-election in a larger landslide.
When did we start saying one nation under God?
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today.
What does it mean to be under God?
Keeping “under God” in the Pledge means that the government endorses religion as desirable. • “Under God”endorses a particular religious belief—the Judeo-Christian concept of a single deity, “God.” Yet other faiths have different views about a deity or deities, and other people do not believe in a deity at all.
What nation did God call to himself?
Israel is the land where God commissioned a small, insignificant group of people to change the world for eternity. God referred to Israel as “His people” (Deuteronomy 7:6); His “treasured possession” (Psalm 135:4), and even the “apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).
When was God added to the U.S. Constitution?
The phrase "one nation, under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. These references to God are not in the original Constitution but were introduced later, reflecting the influence of religious sentiment in the country's history.
Is Jesus mentioned in the founding documents?
The Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity. It contains the word “religion” only twice, in Article 6, which exempts government office holders from a religious test; and in the First Amendment.
What religion was Thomas Jefferson?
He was a Christian deist because he saw Christianity as the highest expression of natural religion and Jesus as an incomparably great moral teacher. He was not an orthodox Christian because he rejected, among other things, the doctrines that Jesus was the promised Messiah and the incarnate Son of God.
Why did they add under God?
The original phrase was “one nation, indivisible.” “Under God” was added in 1954, as part of the Cold War mentality, against godless communism (ie the USSR).
What religion were the founding fathers?
Many of the founding fathers—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Monroe—practiced a faith called Deism. Deism is a philosophical belief in human reason as a reliable means of solving social and political problems.
Why does the U.S. dollar have In God We Trust?
Fearing the spread of communism, political leaders appealed to the faith of the nation to set the U.S. apart from the godless ideology of the Soviets. President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law a bill that required "In God We Trust" to be printed on all coin and paper currency.