I wonder if people realize that the Pledge lacked ‘under God’ until 1954, was written by a socialist, and required a Nazi-like salute (granted, it was not Nazi then) that hearkened back to the Roman Empire.
ALEXANDRIA, Pa. – The clergyman credited with helping to push Congress to insert the phrase “under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance died in Alexandria, Pa., a church official said.
The Rev. George M. Docherty was 97.
Nancy Taylor, historian for the Huntingdon Presbyterian Church, said Docherty died on Thanksgiving at his home in Alexandria, with his wife, Sue, by his side.
Docherty delivered a sermon saying the pledge should acknowledge God in 1952 at Washington’s New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, just blocks from the White House.
On Feb. 7, 1954, he delivered it again after learning that President Dwight Eisenhower would be at the church.
Congress inserted the words a few months later.
From wiki:
Note the pledge salute in the picture…the original salute. This salute was adopted from the ancient Romans.
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). Bellamy’s original “Pledge of Allegiance” was published in the September 8th issue of the popular children’s magazine The Youth’s Companion as part of the National Public-School Celebration of Columbus Day, a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus‘s discovery of America, conceived by James B. Upham.
Bellamy’s original Pledge read, “I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
The pledge was supposed to be quick and to the point. Bellamy designed it to be stated in 15 seconds. He had initially also considered using the words equality and fraternity but decided they were too controversial since many people opposed equal rights for women and blacks.
via Pastor who helped get ‘God’ in pledge dies – Faith- msnbc.com
