We all know the phrase “one nation under God.” Who knew this would become such a controversial phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance, which so many children have learned and recited since the 1950s? Today this phrase continues to be challenged in courts of public opinion. I believe in the vision laid out by the pledge but it currently does not reflect the America we live in.
The actual phrase “one nation under God” was added in 1954 while the pledge itself has been around at least since 1892. America has never been a Christian nation if we define and describe a Christian nation as one that follows the very commands of Jesus Christ. America has only been a Christian nation in the sense that historically a plurality of citizens adhered to the precepts of the Christian faith and, more importantly, because our foundational documents i.e. The Constitution, Declaration of Independence etc. are grounded in Judeo-Christian principles found in the Bible.
The case I am making here is that while we still should pledge allegiance to the flag, we must also be aware that we are not one nation under God but rather we are a divided nation in which a plurality of citizens no longer believe in the one true God as revealed in the holy scriptures.
True Christians who believe the Bible, the infallible Word of God, do indeed believe in the one true God. This was the predominant view in America in the 1950s, hence why the phrase “under God” was added to the pledge instead of “under god” with a lower case “G” or “under a god.” In 2015 Pew Research revealed that only 66 percent of mainline Protestants believed for certain that there is a God let alone believe in there only being one God. While this is still a majority, the percentages have been dropping since the 1950s.
You might be wondering what is the difference between believing in God and believing in “a god.” God spoke and his words were recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4 by Moses. He said to Israel and by extension speaks to all of us that “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” What has happened over the last several decades, is more people in America including those within mainline Protestantism, have moved to a belief that there is not one God as the Bible teaches.
An increasingly popular world view in America is that “God” is whatever you personally make of Him or “it.” Today you are likely to find a plurality of people who believe that there is not one God as revealed in the Bible and that whatever your view of “God” might be, there are many ways to reach this “God.” In other words, “God” has become more of a concept, a higher power, a state of being rather than the one and only supreme and all powerful being in the universe as revealed in scripture.
As American’s beliefs have shifted on God, Christianity’s influence in America has also waned. I believe this is one of the main reason we have increasingly become a divided nation. True Christian beliefs teach us to love and serve one another. There is no room for racism or injustice within Christianity. If true Christianity had more of an influence on our society, we would be less divided.
Unfortunately, what we see is a wider divide among racial, economic, and educational lines. Movements like Black Lives Matter, Make America Great Again, I’m with Her, Feel the Bern, etc. are all rooted in the secular belief that a divided nation can be healed and come together by denying the power of God and relying on human will power alone. This simply will never happen. We can only be a united nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all if we return to being one nation under the one true God.
Today the Pledge of Allegiance is not so much a reflection of the current state of America, but rather a renewed vision of the kind of America that can once again flourish and be the “City upon a Hill” that John Winthrop envisioned in 1630. The good news is we still have a chance for this vision to be a reality.
What we have today in America is a worldview where there is “a God under a divided nation.” I am optimistic that we can turn this around. I once again optimistically "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." I pray we can return to this vision because as John Winthrop said when reflecting on colonial America and is still true today, “the eyes of all people are upon us.”
** The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of Chadds Ford Live. We welcome opposing viewpoints. Readers may comment in the comments section or they may submit a Letter to the Editor to: editor@chaddsfordlive.com
About Rev. Marcos O. Almonte
Rev. Marcos O. Almonte is senior pastor at Brandywine Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist Church west of Philadelphia. Pastor Marcos is a graduate of Palmer Theological Seminary with more than 10 years working with families with an expertise in theology, trauma and addictions. Pastor Marcos and his wife Mary have three children, Carmen, Joseph, and Lincoln.
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