America Values Its Relationships with the Almighty, says President Bush

While European politicians are asking themselves whether or not to include a reference to God in the constitutional Treaty, the White House passed a bill on 8.10.2002 that reaffirms the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance and reiterates that ‘In God We Trust’ is the national motto. The measure passed in a 401-5 vote.

The Pledge of Allegiance is the following sentence: ‘I 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.’

In June 2002 a federal appeals court ruled that the Pledge is unconstitutional and must not be recited in schools. ‘In the context of the Pledge, the statement that the United States is a nation “under God” is an endorsement of religion,’ a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 2-1 decision. ‘To recite the Pledge is not to describe the United States; instead, it is to swear allegiance to the values for which the flag stands: unity, indivisibility, liberty, justice, and - since 1954 - monotheism. A profession that we are a nation “under God” is identical, for Establishment Clause purposes, to a profession that we are a nation “under Jesus,” a nation “under Vishnu,” a nation “under Zeus,” or a nation “under no god,” because none of these professions can be neutral with respect to religion.’

The decision elicited immediate responses from politicians and advocacy organizations.

The President of the USA Mr George Bush strongly opposed the ruling of the court and defended America’s right to be called ‘one nation under God’, reports ‘Christianity Today’ .

‘The President’s reaction was that this ruling is ridiculous,’ White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. ‘The view of the White House is that this was a wrong decision, and the Department of Justice is now evaluating how to seek redress.’

The Associated Press quoted President Bush saying that the decision was ‘out of step’ with the country’s history. ‘America is a nation... that values our relationship with the Almighty,’ Bush said. ‘We need commonsense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God.’

Religious advocacy organizations also responded quickly to the decision. ‘We believe the 9th Circuit is clearly out of step with the people of this country and the history of its founding,’ said Family Research Council president Ken Connor in a press release. ‘The ruling represents another attempt to secularize a country born out of religious liberty.’

According to a Newsweek poll released on 29.06.2002, nearly nine in ten Americans believed the phrase ‘under God’ should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance, and most believed it was acceptable for the government to promote religious expression, as long as no specific religion is mentioned.

The margin of error in the poll of 1000 adults conducted on 27-28 June was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Asked if the Pledge should contain the phrase ‘under God,’ 87 percent of those polled by ‘Newsweek’ said yes and only 9 percent said no. Asked if the government should avoid promoting religion in any way, 36 percent said yes, but 54 percent said no, and 60 percent of poll respondents said they think it is good for the country when government leaders publicly express their faith in God.

Only 12 percent of those polled thought the government should eliminate all references to God and religions belief in schools, government buildings and other public settings, while 84 percent said such references are acceptable, as long as they do not mention a specific religion.

The poll found that 45 percent of Americans hold the view that the United States is a secular nation in which religious belief, or lack of it, is not a defining characteristic. Twenty-nine percent believe the United States is a Christian nation, and another 16 percent believe the United States is a Biblical nation, defined by the Judeo-Christian tradition.