The Pledge and Flag Under Fire

The phrase “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God” contained in the Declaration of Independence is an important founding concept. It is under attack.

Jun 01, 2024

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said, “That is a prayer” -- and that be eliminated from our schools, too?
Red Skelton

Words 2,262 | Read Time 11 min | Enjoy

Introductory Summary

The phrase “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence represents a cornerstone of American political philosophy, asserting that government is ultimately accountable to a higher moral authority. This foundational concept was reaffirmed in 1954 when Congress added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, a move often perceived as a reaction to Soviet Communism but deeply rooted in aligning the Pledge with America’s founding values.

The original Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy in 1891, aimed to promote universal peace and reflected socialist and internationalist ideals. Over the years, patriotic groups recognized and challenged these underlying sentiments, leading to changes that emphasized a commitment to the United States. The 1954 inclusion of “under God” marked a significant evolution, reinforcing the belief in divine guidance and national sovereignty.

This addition sparked debates about the role of religion in public life, highlighting the ongoing tension between secularism and America's religious heritage. Despite these challenges, historical documents and the nation’s founding principles consistently rely on a faith-based moral compass. The phrase “under God” in the Pledge serves as a reminder of this heritage, calling Americans to uphold values of liberty, justice, and accountability to a higher power. As the nation faces contemporary challenges, this principle remains vital to its ethos, guiding Americans with faith and resilience.

The Pledge

The phrase “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence is an important founding concept. That is the understanding that our government is subordinate to God. Congress made this point in 1954 by adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. Unfortunately, few of our citizens know much about the origins of the Pledge or why Congress changed it. Most accounts of the 1954 alteration focus on the fact that Congress sought to distinguish the American system as the antithesis of Soviet Communism. The real story — patriotic individuals and groups sought to harmonize the Pledge in 1954 with synchronizing the fundamental concept expressed in our founding documents. A government is accountable not only to the people but to God.

In 1891, Francis Bellamy (1855-1931) introduced the original Pledge of Allegiance. It went this way — “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and [to] the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” According to Dr. John W. Baer, author of The Pledge of Allegiance: A Centennial History 1892-1992, “Bellamy wanted it as an international peace pledge, so he hoped that all the republics [of the world] on their peace day, would put a white border around their flag, and recite it as a pledge.”

Bellamy was a founder of the Society of Christian Socialists (SCS). By 1891, he also helped his cousin Edward Bellamy (1850-1898) to advance the worldwide “Nationalist” movement. Edward authored the novel “Looking Backward: 2000-1887.” The main character in this novel awoke from sleep in 2000 to see that America became a part of a world union of socialist republics. According to Dr. Baer, the SCS and the nationwide network of “Nationalist” clubs were American extensions of the socialist Fabian Society. The Fabians (est. 1889) are a group based in Great Britain. The Fabians want to introduce “total socialism” around the world slowly.

Public schools nationwide adopted Bellamy’s Pledge. That occurred to introduce American principles to the children of immigrants. By 1924, the Pledge was under attack from the American Legion and Daughters of the American Revolution. These patriotic organizations were able to see the hidden socialistic internationalism. They worked to change the phrase “my Flag” (unlinked to the U.S.A.) to “the Flag of the United States of America.” Bellamy did not like the revision. Ignoring his protest, Congress codified the revised Pledge in June 1942 (eliminating “my flag”). Congress did nothing to force American citizens to recite it in school or elsewhere. Later, the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic lay organization) lobbied Congress in 1954 to insert “under God” into the Pledge. Currently, the Pledge now expresses the opposite of what Bellamy desired. The words “under God” recognize that our nation is subservient to the Almighty. Pledging to “one nation under God” is the antithesis of the allegiance to a State that imagines itself without God (as a supreme authority).

1892 (first version)

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1892 to 1923 (early revision by Bellamy)

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1923 to 1924

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1924 to 1954

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1954 (current version, per 4 U.S.C. §4)

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.

The commotion over the word “God” started in earnest with the 1947 Supreme Court case Everson v. Board of Education.1 The Founders, such as Thomas Jefferson, wanted the government not to interfere in religious matters. The Founders saw faith as prospering the best, like the free market. So, there were plenty of open displays of religion from the beginning to 1947. Then, in the early ’60s, the Supreme Court declared that the Bible was a dirty book for school children. Today, an aggressive program ensures that everyone worships anything but Our Lord. A dependence on the state is a form of worship.

Contrary to revisionist history, some copious historical documents and records detail our Christian heritage. Section 16 of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights, adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention on June 12, 1776, is a salient example:

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practise Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.

Reflection

Despite the out in the in-open hatred of tradition-minded people, the nation's heritage is an essential building block of the Nation’s culture. Today, we get attacked for respecting the flag, the historical figures, and our national anthem. For example, in a recent disturbing incident, I wore a nice dress shirt imprinted with a large U.S. flag and an image of the Declaration of Independence. An acquaintance curtly asked, “Are you MAGA.” I responded by stating that MAGA is not the problem, whereas MACA (Make America Communist Altogether) constitutes the real threat.

Meanwhile, we hear about how important it is to show tolerance for others, such as respecting the Muslim “culture.” If the worship of Muhammad is a “culture,” then some toleration of our Christian heritage would be in order. Our fake overlords blabber on how we must not generalize all the people of a particular group to the actions of a few bad actors. These same MACA mob members seem to forget about that secular dogmatic mantra, as exemplified by their caustic hostility toward tradition-minded folk.

This whirlwind, through the Caustic Cancel Culture Pogrom (CCCP), kills our true history and is an insult to our Nation. The essay The Lies of the 1619 Project gives insight into the CCCP’s many tools at their disposal. The assault against the flag is a symptom of a much bigger problem that goes back in history. It is the same old evil infestation – socialism and Communism, but a new type, with diversity-equity-inclusion (aka, Didn’t Earn It) as its flagship. Moreover, through environmental-social-governance, corporations partner with the government. While relegated to the dustbin of history, the term “Fascism” started with the public-private partnerships in Italy during Mussolini’s reign. Thus, the MACAs and their partner ANTIFA shouting the word “fascist” are the fascists! Projection at its finest.

In recent years, the attack intensified with figures like Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the anthem to protest police violence against Black people. But of course, these same influencers have not made any statement about the government’s brutality against people who have prayed outside an abortion mill. We know sports kneeling is a statement against racial oppression, but using the flag as a focal point divides rather than unites.

But wait, there is more. Right on queue, with the April 2, 2024, collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, there are Pavlovian calls to rename the bridge. After all, Key, the author of our National Anthem, was an “enslaver.” Of course, the full historical background has no meaning to the pickled MACA brain, as shown in my essay The Sin of Slavery.

Facing the adversity of the MACAs, the heart-warming true story about Vice Admiral James Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) will give us some hope. September 9, 1965, was a life-changing day for Stockdale. It was the day the Vietcong shot down his Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. He self-ejected to save his own life, and the North Vietnamese captured him that day. They detained Stockdale at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” (Hỏa Lò Prison). They would take in a very, very troublesome prisoner. He set up communications among the American prisoners of war and rules to organize the prisoners and boost their morale.

This famous quote by Stockdale will help us face the nasty MACAs:

You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Moreover, the following quote by Bill McCuker from the essay An Open Letter to the 2024 Graduates of Morehouse College succinctly rebuts the hate America narrative:

Are there racists in our country? Sure, but does that make us a racist country? Some Americans are lazy; does that make us a lazy country? Some Americans are stupid; does that make us a stupid country? Some Americans might be white supremacists, though, in my seventy-one years as a white male, I have never met one. We also have race hustlers, but that doesn’t mean fair and clear-thinking individuals should be duped into believing their self-serving nonsense about our being a racist country.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the phrase “the laws of Nature and Nature’s God” in the Declaration of Independence underscores a foundational belief that government is subordinate to a higher moral authority. The 1954 addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance by Congress reaffirmed this principle, emphasizing that the nation is accountable to its citizens and a divine power. This historical move, while often seen as a Cold War stance against Soviet Communism, was deeply rooted in a desire to align the Pledge with the core values expressed in America’s founding documents.

The original Pledge of Allegiance, penned by Francis Bellamy in 1891, was intended as a universal peace pledge, reflecting Bellamy’s socialist and internationalist ideals. Over time, patriotic organizations recognized and opposed these underlying socialist sentiments, leading to revisions that emphasized allegiance specifically to the United States. By 1954, with the addition of “under God,” the Pledge evolved to reflect a distinct American identity rooted in the belief in divine guidance and national sovereignty.

The controversy surrounding the phrase “under God” and broader debates about religion in public life highlight ongoing tensions between secularism and religious heritage in America. Despite these challenges, historical documents and founding principles reveal a consistent theme: the nation's reliance on a moral compass provided by faith. The inclusion of “under God” in the Pledge serves as a reminder of this heritage and a call to honor the values of liberty, justice, and accountability to a higher power. In the face of contemporary challenges, this principle remains a vital aspect of the national ethos, urging Americans to navigate current realities with faith and resilience.

Bonus No. 1

Now for a beautiful rendition of the Pledge by the wonderful great late Red Skelton:

Bonus No. 2

USA Flag - Our Heritage:

Parting Shot

What if Justice Alito flew a BLM flag? 📕

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