The ORIGINAL pledge didn't have the words "Under God" in it - that was added in 1954 in response to the 'godless' Soviets. Our national motto was also changed around the same time (1956) as well.

As a Conservative I say we return to the ORIGINAL pledge, which more accurately reflects our nation's heritage of "a wall of Separation between Church and State" as Thomas Jefferson termed it.

I say yes, but I'm commenting anyway.

It was put in for a silly reason, because we feared "Godless" Communists. Also, this: "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli.

Why do we even need a pledge? I'm a Marine Corps, Wartime Veteran. I don't care if people pledge allegiance or not. But I certainly don't want people to be forced to say anything they don't want to. That's akin to torture and goes against amendment #1. God has nothing to do with our constitution - the thing I pledged to uphold and defend. God isn't in the constitution and the Pledge, nor the Declaration, isn't a governing document. All the pledge is, is a means by which people can feel nostalgic about when we used to find reasons to hate one-another. If we can all find the bravery within ourselves to abandon notions like nationalism and religion (leading by example here), then we'll see a peaceful road ahead where it doesn't matter where you're born - you're human, that's enough.

Yes, it should be removed in order to preserve tradition!

Well said Will Charlton!

I say yes. I don't think we should have children say the pledge of allegiance at all. I think it's wrong to force patriotism onto our children the same way it's wrong to force religion on them. Children should be encouraged to question their government and everything else as well. It's because adults foist their own beliefs on children at a young age and continually tell them "this is the only way" and not to question it that we have a nation of blind followers with very few real leaders.

I appreciate all of your comments. It is somewhat encouraging.

Yes it should! As Americans we are proud of our rights and boast about them liberally. One of those rights is freedom of religion. How can we be so proud of these rights when we insist that you give one up just to pledge allegiance to our way of life?

It should be removed. I agree with all of the above comments. We are a secular nation where everyone has their own choice to believe in what ever god/goddess they choose or none it's personal. In God We Trust should also not be our motto or printed on our money.

Will Charlton for President!

It should be removed. I'm a teacher currently working at a school in which children ARE forced to say the pledge. Nobody is allowed to just stand there as per the administration's policy. It's not right. By removing the words "under god," nobody is being spoiled and asking others to believe as they do. It's actually the opposite. We are asking that the constitution be observed. By saying things like if these things offend you "get out of America," you are saying that if people don't believe in god, they aren't welcome here. Just like all of the believers in this country, I was born and raised here, and I have equal rights to stay.

What's the point of a pledge, anyway? It seems creepy to stand in unison and repeat the same thing everyday like a broken record. Plus a flag is an inanimate object..what exactly are people communicating?"I'm a good patriot because i talk to a flag every morning." ?? Weird.

Stephanie Jolly - it is the SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE! No one wants to remove religions from all life, but rather, people want the government out of the business of endorsing religion. That is exactly what "Under God" and "In God We Trust" does...what if it was switched to "Allah" or "Yahweh"? Some consider them all the same Abrahamic god. The statements were added for silly reasons and to remove them only fulfills what our Founding Fathers wanted in our government. Many forget that they left England because religion was forced on them. They wanted better for our new nation - to be able to believe what we want, even if it doesn't coincide with what the government endorses. YOU are acting like a spoiled brat. YOU are trying to force YOUR beliefs on those of us who do not believe what you believe. You are seeing things from an emotional standpoint. Those of us who support the removal of those sayings are doing so from a rational, law abiding standpoint. BIG difference.

Stephanie, YOU'RE the hypocrite! Get an education FFS! Religion does NOT belong in govt affairs, and this country belongs to ALL of us, NOT just christians, especially not those who have a one track mind and narrow vision. It is YOU who is obviously brainwashed to the extent that you totally missed the point! This is not a theocracy, and was never intended to be. GET OVER YOURSELF!

Thank you Will, Hermione, and all othet voices.of reason.

Let's take a moment and remove Atheism from the picture. What if I practice a religion that has many gods or none at all? Why should your religion take preference over mine? I would like to see the Pledge restored to it's original wording.

Stephanie, Don't waste your time debating with these self righteous, arrogant, closed minded individuals. The poll asked to comment if you voted no, yet they love to hear themselves, my point. See how they are calling you out as if it is coordinated. It is, because they are like zombies attacking the living. They are so disorganized they have post links such as this on their facebook page to rally the other zombies. It is like they sit around and read the same crap from the same people then quote it as truth. In what realm is not knowing evidence for knowing? Yea, yea the burden of proof is on the one who presents it as truth, that is a two way street. Do you claim no God as the truth because he can't be proven? Answer this: If our God was equal to us in knowledge or any other characteristic, would he be God? If He could be proved through any of our 5 senses would we require faith? Keep your mind closed, your heart will follow. One more thing, Faith is a gift from God. So I wouldn't except you to get it, but you could return the favor and quit expecting us to give up our rights to suit yours.

Since we Christians weren't properly educated, please inform me this. Did the Pilgrams come here to seek freedom of religion? Did our founding fathers have an issue the the state church of England? Twist the truth if you may, but SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE is to prevent government from taking away the religious rights of its citizens. In fact the letter Ben Franklin wrote was to a CHURCH!! But yet, here we are demanding CHRISTIANS relinquish their rights. Why can't Christianity be seen as a lifestyle, change the constitution to ensure we get equal rights.

If there is to be a pledge of allegiance in schools then it should NOT have under god in it. It should be as it was initially written. This is something led by the teacher in school, it is wrong to promote one belief over another. This shows, promotes, and teaches intolerance. You are basically telling the children with differing or no beliefs that they are not welcome in our club. This is akin to the grown-ups saying if you do not like something here then move to another place. That is called tyranny, to be so intolerant of those that are different you tell them to leave. We live in a free society, and like Will I spent 8 years defending that freedom in the US Military. This freedom extends to all, and in public, or state run establishments we CANNOT promote one religion over another. This is not saying you cannot say something the way you want, feel free to pray before or after school, feel free to do what you want in that regard. As a group, especially in schools, it should all remain neutral. Not promoting one over another. Children have plenty of reasons to alienate one another, let's not add another one to the bunch.

SG Jolly, you really don't seem to have any concept of freedom or even what the founding fathers created with the constitution. Can you give any factual reasons why it is necessary to have God on U.S. currency or in the pledge?

@freedomofreligion..."Freedom of Religion" means ALL religion. Not just Christian. Which is a point that is kind of a big deal if you are a Muslim student attending a public school that makes you pledge to the christian god. Resorting to calling names to people who disagree with you is not very christian, by the way.

Im with Lianna and b hauser. I live here, I grew up here. I want my kids to be able to say the pledge to their flag and country without having to say we are "under god". Some of us don't think we are under anything but the sky. The pledge was written by Francis j. Bellamy, a Baptist minister. It was written at a time when immigrants were flooding into America and the pledge was a way to unite everyone and americanize the new additions to our great country. Even though he was a Christian, Bellamy purposefully left out any reference to religion or god. He felt the pledge should be for EVERY one. He died in 1931 and would certainly be upset by the 1954 addition of "under god" to his pledge by the knights of Columbus and president Eisenhower. I feel the pledge is a wonderful piece of American history and a tradition I would like my children to participate in despite our lack of faith in something we think is silly.

So yes and yes. It should be removed..and when my American kids can't say the American pledge but SG JOLLYS kids can because of our difference in religion, its discrimination and completely unfair.

SG Jolly, you having to pledge to one nation, under God may not bother you. But, as an Atheist, I think it's unnecessary. Would you want to pledge to one nation under Zeus? Or Ra? I'd think not. Oh, but you're free to not say it.

The fact of the matter is, it doesn't belong. Once upon a time, we let our fear drive us and used a religion as our shield. Albeit, not one everyone shared. We are better then that. We need to be the country we were made to be.

America is like any other western country a multicultural country with people of many different faiths. So this is not a fight between atheists and Christians, it's a fight between all people who don't believe in a god (Atheists, Buddhists, Jainists, animists, atheist Hindu's, Jews and Christians (yes they do exist) etc.) and Christians. You could also argue that you're not including Muslims in the pledge because they would want to say the Arabic word for god.
Why would you want to exclude all of these people from being a part of your country? Are you really that egotistical?

Which god are you pledging allegiance to anyway? Allah? Vishnu? Jesus? Since this was added by Christian fear-mongers, I would assume it is the Christian god, and if that's true, just think how many good Americans with different beliefs are excluded by this terrible addition to the pledge.

Have any of you read the constitution of the United States? You would be surprised at the Bible passages. Everyone has a choice to believe in God. Even Satan Believes in Him. "Under God" should be kept, but the choice should not be forced. God is love.

I wonder what the forefathers of this country would be thinking now. The pledge to a Christian god when the first four presidents of the US publicly denied the divinity of Jesus Christ.