Two Words
John Hemmer-Beaumont
Is it wrong to change something as basic to the American fabric as the Pledge of Allegiance? When a panel of California Judges ruled that the words “Under God” violated the separation of church and state and therefore must be eliminated from the Pledge, a large portion of America was outraged. Oh, the power of two words!
The Founders of this country came here to practice their religion as they saw fit. Once here, they began to see the rule of England to be unnecessary and invasive. They considered God their king more so than the King of England (see America, Verse 4). As the new country formed, one of the principal tenets became freedom of religion for all. The colonial papers, essays, songs and poetry written during this time are a reflection of this philosophy. Would I prefer that there be no mention of God in these historical documents? Yes. Would I change them now, some 200 years later? No. They are part of history and a part of the story of this nation.
Changing the Pledge is a different matter. The Pledge was originally written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, in 1892, who specifically wrote it without reference to God. It was not until 1954 (when we were confronting the Godless Red Menace) that Congress decided to add the words “Under God”. At the time the daughter of Rev. Bellamy strenuously objected on the grounds that her father did not intend for the Pledge to be religious. She was largely ignored. Our Pledge of Allegiance should not represent Christianity at the expense of other religions (or non-believers.) The Judges who ruled on this case are not changing history, nor are they tampering with an original document. They are simply returning things to the way they were, to the way the author intended.
