The Pledge of Allegiance was originally composed by Captain Thatcher Balch, a Union Army officer during the civil war. He later taught patriotism in New York City. The words were changed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist Minister and author who was also from New York. His travels took him to Massachusetts, and it was there he penned most of the version we have today. He believed in absolute separation of church and state and did not include the words “under God” in his original text. Bellamy wrote the pledge as an “inoculation” that would protect immigrants and native-born American’s from radicalization and subversion. It was adopted by congress in 1942 and the official name was adopted in 1945.
After World War Two, the cold war was in full force. Nikita Khrushchev was the secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union beginning in 1953. During this time, Dwight Eisenhower was President and in 1954, he encouraged congress to add the words “under god’ to the pledge. It was during this time that Khrushchev said that his government would destroy ours without ever firing a shot. Russia is still working on accomplishing that prediction to this day. The wording to the pledge was officially changed on Flag Day in1954.
The Pledge: “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.”
I often wonder how many people really reflect on what those words mean. We say we are a nation indivisible, but as I look around, I see a nation totally divided, one which seems determined to destroy itself from within. Intolerance, hate, anger and rage are being played out daily. Abraham Lincoln said, in his house divided speech in 1859, “A house divided against itself cannot stand”
In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself, and every city or house divided against itself, will not stand.”
Justice is defined as being fair or just, determined by morality and the law.
In today’s America, justice needs to fight hard to be heard over the roar of people’s agendas based on color, religion, birth place and so many issues which divide us. Morality and a sense of right and wrong have taken a back seat to politics and greed.
Proverbs 28:5 “Evil doers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.”
Isaiah 61:8 “For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrong doing,”
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”
Liberty is defined as a state of being free within society from oppression and restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior or political views.
Today, liberty is in jeopardy from people and politicians who want to impose their will and beliefs on everyone. They think that all who disagree are stupid and that they should leave what they consider “their” country. It is a sad and scary place our democracy has entered.
Psalm 118:5 “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has appointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release of the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”
Our country and our world are in deep trouble. I encourage you to really study history to understand how we have gotten to this place in time. Pick up your Bible and read the words of Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The time has come to shut out the noise of the world, search your hearts, walk away from the evil stirring around us which has been perpetrated by the work of the devil and start living your life the way Jesus taught, a life filled with love of others, compassion and a true connection to God. Your eternity depends on it.
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