PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
(Picking your battles...)
 
A history of the Pledge of Allegiance is provided at the bottom of this page.  (You probably already know this history or can easily find it on the internet - but we provide it here for completeness.)

And, unless you've been under a rock somewhere, you know of the current battles regarding the Pledge of Allegiance being unconstitutional when recited in schools.  But, that is not the purpose of this article either.  The discussion here centers around these ideas:

Pick Your Battles...    Choose Your Timing...
& Don't Forget Freedom of Speech.

PICK YOUR BATTLES

An atheist's work is never done.  We know the history of past nations which rallied around certain religious beliefs.  The Pledge contains the word "indivisible", yet we know that religion is one of the most divisive issues we face in America.  Not just between theists and atheists, but between separate religions like Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Southern Baptists, Methodists, Mormons, etc.  We know that the author of the Pledge was socialist who would have adamantly opposed "Under God" being added to it.  Is this a battle worth fighting?  Absolutely!  Is this the most important battle?  Doubtfully.  Is the timing right to fight this battle?  Read on....


CHOOSE YOUR TIMING

After the tragic events of Septa 11th, a great patriotic wave has swept over our nation.  We are on the defensive and rallying around our flag is commonplace.  It is our way of coping with these attacks.  And, most Americans cannot look at the American Flag without thinking about the Pledge of Allegiance.  The current fight against the Pledge because of the words "Under God" is seen not just as an attack on religion, but an attack on the flag and on patriotism.  This MAY NOT be the best time to fight this battle!  Atheist will be viewed as unpatriotic.  Great damage will be done to our cause by this.  You can be guaranteed that religious groups will seize on this opportunity to attack atheists.  It can be argued that the damage we will sustain is not worth the setback we will receive in public perception - even if the fight is successful, which may be in question considering the political environment.

New Revision 8/1/2002!
In a previous version of this page, we wrote, "Let's not damage our image by fighting this right now."  We have since reversed our position on this issue.   Those out to attack atheists will always claim we are unpatriotic, right?  We tend to agree with readers who wrote us on the previous version of this page (see below).  We still believe that the timing isn't the best to fight this battle, but the battle is already underway and much ground will be lost by retreating now.


DON'T FORGET FREEDOM OF SPEECH

We have tremendous freedoms of speech.  Use them!  The Constitution guarantees that you are free to recite the Pledge, or NOT recite the Pledge.  It guarantees that you are free to leave out "Under God" if you so choose.  Hell, you can even make up your own words!  That is your right.  You will not be jailed for doing any of these things.  In our view, we should continue to rely on our Freedom of Speech until this battle is won.
Comments from a Readers:
Rick Carey
rickc@flash.net
Monday, July 08, 2002 4:00 PM

On your Pledge page you say that this isn't the right time to fight this battle. But Michael Newdow has been fighting this battle for several years (the original lawsuit referred to Clinton as president). Would you have him drop the lawsuit and waste all the time and money he'd spent because it wasn't likely to be well received? There will never be a perfect time for a battle like this. As such, NOW IS THE TIME. When you're talking about defending our rights, it's ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME.

Response from the Ethical Atheist:  Thanks for contacting us.  We appreciate conflicting views and intend to make your view known to readers of our site.  This is a difficult issue for us - one which we have wavered on frequently.  At times, we agree with your position that "now is the time" and we'll post your message in our Pledge of Allegiance page.
Vannah
atheistchk14@yahoo.com
Wednesday, July 10, 2002 8:46 PM

On your pledge page, you said it's the wrong time to bring this up. In a way it's the perfect time. After 9/11, people started turning to God or whatever. People started singing 'God Bless America' on the steps of court houses, etc. I've heard 'God Bless the USA' so many times I think I'm gonna explode. The point is when god is mixed with any word meaning patriotism, it likes math, adding two things to equal one. People automatically get this idea that God is with our country even though hundreds upon hundreds of people either burned to death, were crushed to death, or fell to their death. People think in order to love this country, you must love the [Christian] god mentioned in the pledge, songs, etc.

Response from the Ethical Atheist:  Thanks for writing - we appreciate hearing the views of others.  This is a difficult issue for us - one which we have wavered on frequently.  At the present time, we are swinging back to a position similar to yours that "now is the time" and we'll post your message in our Pledge of Allegiance page.  Our only concern was that it would do additional harm the image of atheists (e.g. being unpatriotic, etc).  However, those out to attack atheists already claim this - so what's the difference, right?  Your message and our reply will be posted on the Pledge of Allegiance page shortly - also expect a rewrite of the page to say that "now is the time", with a cautionary note about possible damage to the atheist image.
Daniel Lemine
daniel_lemine@hotmail.com
Sunday, January 04, 2004 1:21 PM

There is no greater time to point out the way that the Pledge (to steal a phrase from Jerry Falwell of all people) "Rapes the Constitution".

The first amendment clearly states that congress shall not pass any law establishing ANY religion.  Perhaps we, atheists and civil libertarians alike should point out the definition of Established, as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, second college edition:

1.  To make firm or secure
2.  To settle into a secure position or condition
3.  To cause to be recognized and accepted
4.  To found
5.  To make a state institution
6.  To introduce and put into force (such as a law
7.  To prove the validity or truth of
Now, apply each and every definition to the Pledge, which was changed by Eisenhower in 1954 to separate the United States, who allow religion, from our Communist enemies, who do not.  Later recognized by Congress, thus ESTABLISHING, according to definition 3.  Very clear, there should be no debate.  IT VIOLATES THE LAWS OF THIS LAND.  If you do happen (and I know you will) to run into anyone who believes otherwise, just give them the definitions and they will suddenly be speechless.  It's worked for me anyway.
 

HISTORY OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Original Version:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and (to*) the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."   [ * 'to' added in October, 1892. ]
Author:
Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897).  Francis Bellamy in his sermons and lectures and Edward Bellamy in his novels and articles described in detail how the middle class could create a planned economy with political, social and economic equality for all. The government would run a peace time economy similar to our present military industrial complex.

In 1892 Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his 'Pledge of Allegiance.'

He considered placing the word, 'equality,' in his Pledge, but knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans.

First Published:
In the September 8th issue of "The Youth's Companion", the leading family magazine and the Reader's Digest of its day. Its owner and editor, Daniel Ford, had hired Francis in 1891 as his assistant when Francis was pressured into leaving his baptist church in Boston because of his socialist sermons. As a member of his congregation, Ford had enjoyed Francis's sermons. Ford later founded the liberal and often controversial Ford Hall Forum, located in downtown Boston.
Revisions:
In 1923 and 1924, the words 'my Flag,' were changed to 'the Flag of the United States of America.'   Bellamy disliked this change, but his protest was ignored.  [Change made by the National Flag Conference, under the 'leadership of the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution.]

In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.  Bellamy's granddaughter said he also would have resented this second change. He had been pressured into leaving his church in 1891 because of his socialist sermons. In his retirement in Florida, he stopped attending church because he disliked the racial bigotry he found there.  Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

Official Recognition:
In 1942, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it.  Today half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom.
Bellamy's Own Thoughts While Writing Pledge:
Bellamy's own account of some of the thoughts that went through his mind in August, 1892, as he picked the words of his Pledge:
Possible Future Revisions:
If the Pledge's historical pattern repeats, its words will be modified during this decade. Below are two possible changes.


References:
1. Baer, John. The Pledge of Allegiance, A Centennial History, 1892 - 1992, Annapolis, Md. Free State Press, Inc., 1992.
2. Miller, Margarette S. Twenty-Three Words, Portsmouth, Va. Printcraft Press, 1976.

(Note: Majority of above history primarily from Dr. John W. Baer, Annapolis, MD)

- Ethical Atheist
[Created: 07/08/2002]
[Last Update: 04/23/2004]