Many schoolchildren stand every day and recite “…one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” However, a growing number of people think there are two words that don’t belong in that pledge, and one group intends to launch a new campaign to end it.

You probably already know that the words “under God” were not in the original pledge Frances Bellamy wrote in 1892, or the version America adopted in 1923. Instead, according to U.S. History, the words were added in 1954, when the fear of communism was high and associated with godlessness. (The original salute was also different – see below.)

Since the words have been added, numerous campaigns to remove ‘under God’ from our nation’s pledge have failed. Those in favor of removing the phrase say that it goes against the establishment clause, which forbids Congress from establishing a religion, and is interpreted to forbid any government agency from showing a preference for any given religion, or for religion over non-religion. They also say that ‘under God’ could be alienating to non-believers and implies a lower degree of patriotism in those who follow no God.

Proponents of ‘under God’ say, however, that the nation was founded on Christian values, and that non-Christians can consider the ‘God’ in the pledge to be whatever they believe in. Courts have also rejected the claim that the phrase ‘under God’ in the pledge (as well as ‘In God we trust’ on currency) violates the establishment clause.

Those who fight to have ‘under God’ removed may be undertaking a dangerous mission, as CBS reports that atheist Michael Newdow, who began his fight against the phrase in 2002, has received death threats for his attempts.

However, the American Humanist Association today announced that it will launch a new campaign against the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance. The campaign starts next Monday, and is based on a new survey, commissioned by the same group, in which one third of respondents said they would support the removal of ‘under God’ from the pledge.

This flies in the face of other recent surveys, which show as many as 92% supporting keeping the phrase ‘under God’ as part of the Pledge of Allegiance.

[photo credit: faungg’s photo via photopin cc]