This Week in Christian History: PCUSA, Martin Luther Marries, 'Under God' in Pledge

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, June 10, 2018

'Under God' Added to the Pledge of Allegiance – June 14, 1954

Former general and president of the United States of America, Dwight David Eisenhower. | (Photo: Public Domain)

This week marks the anniversary of when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill that added the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.

First penned in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, the Pledge had been changed before in 1923 to alter the term "my Flag" to its current "the Flag of the United States of America."

At the time, President Eisenhower explained that the change came with the hope that children across the nation will take part in "the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty."

"In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war," stated Eisenhower.