THOUGHTS ON PATRIOTISM & THE PLEDGE
With the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, it is the official position of the U.S. Government that God exists; moreover, since this is done with Christianity in mind (and claims to the contrary are a half-hearted and hypocritical at best, since promotion of religion is the end goal), Christianity becomes de facto the official religion. This violates the Establishment Clause (see the 1st Amendment to the Constitution).
Even if the Establishment Clause is left out, however, the Free Exercise Clause is still violated, in that recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance requires the utterance of allegiance to Christianity, regardless of one’s religious affiliation (official or otherwise). Certainly, one may not be forced, or otherwise required, to utter the words “under God,” since this would be a blatant violation of the Free Exercise Clause; but, since the Pledge includes those words, one has not uttered the Pledge unless those words are included, and thus (per the official version), has not actually pledged allegiance to the U.S. with those words excluded.
But even if one is considered to have pledged allegiance to the U.S. by some form other than the official Pledge of Allegiance – for example, by reciting the Pledge without the words “under God” – one is still pledging allegiance to a nation that has, by virtue of establishing its wholesale adherence to Christianity in the manner described in paragraph one of this essay (notwithstanding that no particular religion is explicitly referenced thereby), irrevocably linked itself to Christianity by that very Pledge. In other words, pledging allegiance to the U.S. becomes virtually identical to pledging one’s allegiance to Christianity, Judeo-Christianity, or even just the idea of the existence of a single God with the characteristics evinced by Judaism, Christianity and Islam (being that they all refer basically to the same concept of God). Pledging allegiance to the U.S. thus becomes not merely an expression of patriotism to one’s nation, but becomes an utterance of religious adherence. If one’s religion contains many gods (Hinduism, Buddhism, Wicca), alternative versions of gods (Shintoism, Confucianism), no particular conception of a god, though not precluding one (Taosim), skepticism as to the existence of a god (agnosticism), or even non-religion and the non-existence of any god (atheism), then by pledging allegiance to the U.S. one is also expressing adherence and allegiance to a religious idea outside his realm of belief. Thus, to pledge allegiance to the U.S. by the nation’s official Pledge is also a violation of the Free Exercise Clause.
Thus, if I do not pledge my allegiance according to the official form – including the expression of adherence to a religious idea – I am considered unpatriotic, and thus one’s religious belief becomes an integral part of one’s patriotism; yet if I do so, I express an untruth by indicating adherence to an idea I do not, in fact, adhere to. This creates a philosophical and ethical conundrum from which there is no escape – unless the words “under God” are removed from the Pledge.
U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter
1, Section 4:
Pledge of
allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: ''I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'', should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
Thus, if the Pledge is rendered in any other fashion, it has not been properly rendered according to law. The First Amendment precludes forbidding or punishing this; but the official position of the government has been established; one has not, strictly speaking, rendered the Pledge of Allegiance unless the words “under God” have been uttered. This very fact makes it unconstitutional.
There is no way around it. The inclusion of the words “under God” violates the Constitution, and officially establishes a religious idea for the United States. They must be removed.