Throughout the course of human history, religion has continuously acted as a strong divisive force in society. Pretentious amounts of blood have been shed because of religious confrontations such as holy wars, diasporas, and genocides. While some argue that the phrase “One nation, under God” in the United States Pledge of Allegiance is intended to be viewed as a secular testament to the unity of the United States, many religious minorities depict the phrase to be very offensive. It has been made very clear that the oppression of minorities in the USA is highly unjust and unacceptable, yet students of minority religions have to deal with such oppression five days a week, when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited at schools.

The government of the United States of America was constructed off of secular principles and doctrines that were meant to be changed over time. The founding fathers of our nation believed that it was vital to keep religion separate from the state. They thought that if the church were to become too deeply embroiled in the United States government, it would spur much conflict and result in mass corruption. Thomas Jefferson and some of the most prominent founding fathers of our nation were strong advocates of anti-clericalism: “ … a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence in public and political life. ” (“Anti-clericalism”). Thus, the construction of our country was predicated off of many anti-clerical beliefs, such as the first amendment in the Bill of Rights. The amendment states that: “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” (“First Amendment, Bill of Rights”). As stated in the amendment; the United States government is to make no effort establishing a state religion, and they are to allow all religious practices. It can be clearly perceived from reading the first amendment, that the coercion of religious beliefs and practices upon American citizens is simply unacceptable. However, a basic principle of democracy is that government rules and regulations may be altered and changed to fit a changing environment; to create a more just society.

As the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States  intensified in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the fear of the spread of communism, or the “Red Scare” was common among many Americans. In 1954, in response to the Red Scare, president Dwight D. Eisenhower outlawed the communist party of the United States and promulgated a new United States Pledge of Allegiance, with the addition of the words “under God.” Atheism has always been a prominent aspect of communism, and many communist doctrines and ideologies stress the importance of living a religion-free life. The new addition to the pledge was implemented in order to suggest that religion should be an important aspect of every American’s life. According to the Gallup International Association, in 1955, 96% of the United States population were practicers of monotheistic faiths (“Americans by Religious Affiliation”). Therefore, very few people were in opposition to the words being added to the Pledge of Allegiance. However, as years passed, the threat of communism disappeared, and our country became increasingly diverse. But despite the change in environment and religious demographics, the words remained in the Pledge of Allegiance.

In the last few decades, the United States of America underwent a dramatic change in religious demographics. As immigrants from around the globe flocked into the country, a variety of religious beliefs and practices were introduced to America. Also, formerly widespread faiths such as Roman Catholicism and Protestantism decreased in popularity, while being religiously unaffiliated became popular among young Americans. The USA is currently home to 313 different religions ranging from monotheism to ancestor worship. A recent poll taken by Brian Pellot of the Religion News Service suggests that out of the 323 million people living in the United States, over 29 million people identify as atheists or agnostic, and roughly 2.5 million citizens are believers of polytheism (Pellot). Given this data, it can be strongly inferred, that the phrase: “One nation, under God” may offend many citizens of the United States. Although roughly 80 percent of Americans report that they have no problem with the words “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, this does not serve as a reason for the United States government to completely disregard the opinions of the minority. As explained by Tobias B. Wolff; JD, Professor of Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure at U.C. Davis: “ Many parts of our Constitution, including the Religion Clauses, exist in part to protect minority beliefs. When a court issues an opinion that challenges a majority view, why can't it be an occasion for self-reflection, rather than outrage?”(Wolff). It has been made very clear in the Constitution, that minority beliefs and practices must be protected and respected. However, when it comes to an issue that involves removing a few words from a political oath, in which one fifth of America has a problem with, court officials refuse to respect the minority. Perhaps they are blind to the fact that our nation is becoming increasingly diverse, and that the religious demographics are dramatically shifting.  

Currently, if one were to analyze the political structures of all the countries around the world, they would notice a conspicuous pattern; countries who apply religious beliefs and laws to aspects their governments, tend to be the countries with the most social and political tension. Much of the complications that countries such as Syria and Iraq are experiencing, are a result of religious disagreements. Subjects are being coerced to live by religious ethics that they don’t agree with, and are being brutally punished if they dare to make objections. Fortunately, the United States is a secular country, and citizens are entitled to the right of free speech; any citizen can express their opinions about the political system of the United States to Congress. Also, considering that the United States is a federal republic, Congress is supposed to compile new laws and alter old ones to fit the needs of society. Nevertheless, they seem to be ignoring the fact that millions of people are not content with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Such acts of oppression upon minorities could potentially lead to a halt in a country’s development. In the dystopian novella Anthem, author Ayn Rand illustrates what it would be like living in a society, where autonomy and liberty do not exist, and the needs of the group are favored over the needs of the individual (Rand). The setting of the book is a very underdeveloped colony of oppressed people, who are forbidden to think for themselves and make innovations. Although the laws in our country aren’t nearly as draconian, it is pivotal to our country’s development to collaborate and  agree upon laws and regulations, to become further unified, and to eliminate conflict between social groups.  As expressed in our own constitution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s idea of popular sovereignty states that the power of a nation resides in the people, and the government is created and sustained by the consent of the people (Rousseau). However, government officials continue to disregard and disrespect the beliefs and opinions of the minority, causing millions to live a life of oppression. In order to create a better and more equitable society, the United States must be collectively sovereign, and settle for a Pledge of Allegiance that everyone is content with.

Those who disagree with the statement that the phrase: “One nation, under God” is oppressive to those of religious minorities would argue that the phrase is just a secular testament to the unity of the United States. They would claim that even though the United States of America is not a Christian state, a hefty portion of our population is Christian, therefore the phrase is relevant in the lives of the majority. Then, to justify themselves, they would explain how people of many different religions refer to their supreme deity as “God”, and most of the population is monotheistic. But their claims and justifications will remain inapplicable for the millions of polytheistic and agnostic Americans.

The farcical idea that the phrase is a secular testament to America’s unity is actually quite contradicting. For it is the references to religious deities in popular oaths such as the Pledge of Allegiance, that create the notion that people of certain faiths are superior to others. In an ideal society, every member of the population is beatific and worry-free, and often times the best way to achieve personal salvation is by living your life the way you choose to, not following the path of the majority. One specific example of somebody achieving personal salvation by choosing to their own path in life can be found in the novel Siddhartha. In the text, author Hermann Hesse takes us on a spiritual journey through the life of the Brahmin’s son Siddhartha. Halfway through the story, Siddhartha abandoned the practice of being a Samana to live amongst the townspeople. However, after years of living his life as a businessman, Siddhartha realized that he wasn’t truly happy: “For a long time Siddhartha had lived the life of the world without belonging to it. His senses, which he had deadened during his ardent Samana years, were again awakened. He had tasted riches, passion, and power, but for a long time he remained a Samana in his heart”(75). Siddhartha made the poor decision of following the majority instead of listening to his heart. Freedom of choice is vital to the prosperity of our nation, and as shown in the novel, people are only truly happy when follow their instincts.    

The words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance is not a secular testament to the unity of the United States because the phrase itself creates social divisions by suggesting that monotheistic faiths are superior to all others. The United States government must stop creating doctrines based off the opinions of the majority, and respect the opinions of the minority. With the removal of these words, we will have ourselves a Pledge of Allegiance that we can all agree upon, and recite triumphantly. The religious demographics are changing at a rapid pace, and no environmental factors, such as the spread of communism pose as a threat to the United States that would give us a reason to keep the words “under God” in the Pledge. I am hereby requesting on behalf of the millions of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Taos, Atheists, and many more, for Congress to please remove the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. Upon expunging the words, minorities will no longer have to deal with the religious ascendancies within the oath. The formidable feeling of oppressiveness would be exterminated, and all Americans can pledge loyalty to their country with comfort and pride.