Is God a Part of U.S. History?

How could this happen? That is the question that many people are asking in the aftermath of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling declaring the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because it contains the phrase "under God." This is beginning to be another unifying, defining moment in our country. The outcry has been loud and clear, from President Bush, to the halls of Congress and to the classic "common man and woman" across this land.

This ruling flies in the face of our national heritage. We have over 200 years' history of acknowledging God as the giver of this land and the One to whom we owe our allegiance. To say that acknowledging God is setting up a religion in this land is, as the President said, "ridiculous." The man most often quoted as the author of the phrase "separation of church and state," Thomas Jefferson, said in 1781, "And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever." (1) Clearly, Jefferson never envisioned or intended that all references to God would be expunged from our nation and culture.

The first president of our country demonstrated his faith in God on numerous occasions. He understood that God, by His gracious will, had allowed this new nation to be established as the greatest citadel of religious freedom in the world. In his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789, George Washington said, "It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favors." (2) President Washington was not calling the country to adopt a particular religion, but rather to acknowledge that there is a Supreme Being who is sovereign over His creation. God grants common grace to nations, and His benefits are immense to our nation.

John Adams, the second president of the United States, said in a letter in 1776, "Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand." (3) Here, the understanding is that liberty comes from principles and truths that are above natural man.

It is apparent that those founding fathers of our republic understood the importance of including God in our national framework. The Bible says, "Righteousness exalts a nation . . ." (Proverbs 14:34) - this righteousness only comes from acknowledging the Source of righteousness and life - God.

The belief in God and acknowledgment of that belief in public and civic proclamations is a very important part of our history and continues to be so today. The ruling that would eliminate "under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance is extremely disappointing at a time when our nation is fighting a war on terrorism. America, like never before, needs to call upon God for protection and guidance through these perilous days.

One positive effect of this decision is that many people who have remained silent as our freedoms have been eroding are speaking up in shock and outrage. As Christians and citizens we must let our concerns be heard.

Bill Haynes
Senior Policy Analyst for
Cultural & Worldview Studies

1. Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 18, 1781
2. Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1789
3. Letter to Zabdiel Adams, June 21, 1776